International Women’s Day is celebrated every year as a sign of female empowerment, a celebration of the achievements of key women and the boasting of progress that has taken place in the status of women in society. True, there is definitely something to note and celebrate. But unfortunately there are quite a few areas where there is no reason to celebrate. One of the most prominent of these is the exclusion of women in religious life, and in particular in the Western Wall.
For those who are not in the details, the women of the Western Wall are a group of religious women from all streams of Judaism: Orthodox, Conservative and Reform, who come to the Western Wall every month, for 32 years, to pray and make a female voice at the Western Wall.
It is difficult to describe in words the harassment, discrimination, degrading and abusive security check, deprivation of freedom of prayer, abandonment of personal security, physical harm and many other difficult things we experience at the Western Wall every month, all due to our desire to pray and read the Torah instead. It is hard to believe that all this is happening under the auspices of the Rabbi of the Western Wall and the Holy Places, a public servant who does everything in his power to serve only a narrow segment of the citizens of Israel.
On Rosh Chodesh, Rosh Chodesh Shevat, the violence against the women of the Western Wall crossed a red line again: despite our repeated requests to place us in a “capsule” where we are relatively protected from attacks, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation security guards placed us in an exposed place. They shouted, cursed and finally threw a cup of boiling coffee at Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of the Western Wall women. Only miraculously there were no injuries.
Yochi Rapaport (Photo: Sivan Farage)This reality, in which a female voice is silenced at the Western Wall and women do not receive the basic right to pray as is their way, is inconceivable to large sections of the Israeli public. But there is no doubt that it looks really imaginative to very large sections of the Jewish people, overseas. Millions of our brethren in Diaspora Jewry stand in amazement and see how time and time again, women in Israel become trampled on in the holy place for Jews, how, in the sovereign state of Israel, our Torah scroll is compared to a bomb and prevented from entering the Western Wall plaza.
The message permeates well in public, but unfortunately it does not permeate enough among the decision-makers, who allowed the cancellation of the Western Wall outline, which would have given every Jew the opportunity to pray at the Western Wall in their own way – and with dignity. They continue to allow, as tacit agreement, the continued harm to the women of the Western Wall, and Jews believe in Conservatives and Reforms.
One of the common expressions during the corona crisis and the widespread use of zoom, became “the on Mayotte”. On this International Women’s Day, we will arrive at the Western Wall to pray as usual, carrying a large sign explaining to every woman who comes to the place, “My sister, you are on Mayotte.” Trying to silence you, preventing you from making your voice heard. Do not wait for anyone, get yourself out of Mayotte.
International Women’s Day is not a day of celebrations. It should and should be a day of soul-searching, a demand for correction and improvement of the current situation and a real and sober look at the situation of women in the 21st century. I am sorry that even on this woman’s day I have no celebratory line or achievement to mark. The women of the Western Wall continue to be marginalized, discriminated against and silenced at the Western Wall, women are not given an equal place in the place sacred to the Jews – and the world as is its custom. When will the leaders rise up who will show courage and make an end?
The author is the CEO of the Western Wall Women