Orthodox members of the Israeli parliament have now drafted a bill to amend an existing law that regulates behaviour at holy places, to include a PRISON SENTENCE for women wearing a prayer shawl or reading ALOUD from the Torah near the Wailing Wall.
They originally proposed a 7 YEAR jail sentence, but this has now been changed to 3 YEARS.
In their campaign to pray aloud at the wall the women say they are rejecting only convention because there is no prohibition in Jewish law.
"Some of the Orthodox men spat on us, beat us, threw rocks," said Ms Cidor, who was born into an Orthodox Jewish family but has since moved to the reformist wing of her faith.
"Many many women we meet there hush us when we start to pray out loud, because they believe it is forbidden by religious law. When we said the men couldn't hear us from their part of the wall, one of the rabbis answered: 'The wall hears you and it is offended'."
Last April the supreme court reaffirmed the women's right to pray aloud at the wall, but said that because it upset the Orthodox community they should not be allowed to do so in front of the Wailing Wall. Instead, the court told the government to prepare a separate place for the women next to an archaeological site, away from the main wall.
"The court has rewarded the bullies," said Ms Cidor. "They are offering us a place to pray in an archaeological site where rocks from the destruction of the temple by the Romans have been in place for 2,000 years. We want to be a part of the larger public. Why should we be hidden?"
"Women of the Wall is considered a very very radical group because we say we don't need men to represent us before God and I can think of a lot of men who don't like that idea," said Ms Cidor. "We are a very serious threat to them and they understand it."
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/israel/Story/0,2763,1116048,00.html
2007-08-06 12:54:44 · 11 answers · asked by kloneme 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Sigh. More religion-sanctioned sexism.
2007-08-06 13:00:52 · answer #1 · answered by Minh 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since all you appear able to do is to repeat your same, tired questions week after week, I will respond with a cut-and-paste from the Best Answer chosen the last time you asked this:
In Orthodoxy, men and women do not pray together for a specific reason. There are women (feminists) at the Kotel who want to violate this law (I have seen them, they stand as close as possible to the men's side and yell their prayers) to make a statement. It is wrong to do so because they are violating the men's and the women's right to peaceful prayer, and it is right that they should be outlawed. Women are allowed to pray out loud at the wall, I've done it, and so have many others. What they don't tell you in the article is that these women were not simply praying aloud, but shouting specifically to anger the religious.
You will find it interesting to note:
The part of the wall that is closest to the Temple is inside the tunnels, and only women are allowed to pray there. Men have to go elsewhere in the tunnels.
2007-08-06 17:45:21 · answer #2 · answered by Mark S, JPAA 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it doesn't seem right, does it? i agree with the woman from this story, that women don't need men to represent them, but i could be wrong, as i don't know jewish law all that well.
i was reading genesis 25 the other day, so this caught my attention (rebekah, mother of jacob and edom/esau, prayed for an answer as to why her sons fought with each other in her womb). i can't provide a real, solid answer. i replied mostly so that i can come back later and check to see what people say. interesting question.
2007-08-06 13:05:42 · answer #3 · answered by That Guy Drew 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Jews acting like the Muslims. Go figure.
2007-08-06 13:01:26 · answer #4 · answered by yarn whore 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Huh. I would have thought it was because the Abomination of Desolation is just on the other side of the Wall and THEY didn't want to hear it.
2007-08-06 13:02:44 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Thank you for the reminder that the Muslims don't have the crazy market cornered.
2007-08-06 13:11:39 · answer #6 · answered by Peter D 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I read the entire article and what I have to say is: Yeah, so what?
2007-08-06 13:01:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why are you concerned?
Is it because of your love for Jewish people?
2007-08-06 13:00:56 · answer #8 · answered by wefmeister 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
how silly this all is. i liked the guy's response of how the wall heard and was offended...
2007-08-06 13:00:06 · answer #9 · answered by chieko 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
why are jews following what the muslims are doing ?
2007-08-06 13:04:57 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋