Rosh Chodesh at the Kotel

This morning we went to the Kotel to pray with Women of the Wall for Rosh Chodesh Sivan (festival celebrating the new month). While we had a large group present, there were thousands of Ultra-Orthodox men and women who had been bused in to protest a recent ruling by the Jerusalem Court allowing women to pray as they wish at the Kotel. It was a moving, tense, and at times frightening scene. Below are a few of our reflections from the day after we both took some time to process. But, before that: we want to be sure to wish you all a Shabbat Shalom and a Chodesh Tov (good month).

Gavi:
I am very ready for Shabbat after an emotional morning at the Kotel with Women of the Wall. After almost 13 years of davening with my tallit, I put it on at the Kotel for the first time  and said shehecheyanu with tears streaming down my face. Being yelled at by thousands of my Ultra-Orthodox brothers and sisters, being called horrible things, and having bottles and rocks thrown at me and my community is not how I would like to spend my Rosh Chodesh, but how I chose to today.

I am thankful to the police who kept us safe and for upholding the ruling of the Jerusalem Court, to my friends who held my hands, and to my husband who kept me strong.

I was also thankful to get out of Jerusalem for a few hours following a tense morning for a beautiful outdoor lunch with our family in Gush Etzion. This country may have its ups and downs, but it is my homeland.

Jason:
As with most days in Jerusalem, I am filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I felt incredibly proud: Proud to have prayed alongside a group of strong, brave women. Proud to have found an opportunity to quite literally stand in support of the values I hold and the Judaism and I believe in. Proud to have been with a community that responded to cursing and shouting with smiles and wishes for a Shabbat Shalom and a Chodesh Tov. And proud to have been able to stand next to my wife for an incredibly moving moment as she put on a Tallit at the Kotel for the first time. The singing and praying was sincere and impassioned in a way that I had not experienced before with Women of the Wall. I felt strong in my convictions and so glad to have had the opportunity to be a part of that community.

On the other hand, I felt remarkably sad. I had never before felt afraid at the Kotel, but the throngs of angry, shouting, shoving people surrounding us** had a look of malice that was shocking. On our way out of the city, people threw water bottles and a classmate of mine was hit by a rock. We were loaded on to buses so that we could leave in safety, but even as we drove out of the Old City, Ultra-Orthodox men lined the street, giving us the finger, banging on the bus, and throwing rocks at the windows. How in the Jewish Homeland could any Jew, let alone Jews praying at our holiest site, be treated that way by their brethren?

The Kotel Rabbi, Shmuel Rabinovich, said that Women of the Wall are forcing their views on other people, but all the group actually requests is the opportunity to pray in peace at the place that has been the heart of the Jewish world for thousands of years. For centuries our people were told that as long as no one saw us praying, we could do what we wanted. At other times, we were forced to pray in hiding for fear that it would disrupt public order and poison the community. Now, Jews in the Jewish State are calling for the voices of their brothers and sisters to be shoved aside and silenced.
This service was the first time that I prayed wearing tefillin and it could not have been a more important shehecheyanu moment. I only hope that in the future the large crowds will be singing in support instead of shouting hate.

During the service, I also took a video of the recitation of the prayer written for Women of the Wall, a special prayer read during the Torah service honoring the role of women and praying for their voices to be heard.

Here are a few articles with recaps of the day's events:
Women of the Wall video
Times of Israel
YNet
Haaretz (if the page is blocked, you can register for free for 10 articles/month)
New York Times
Channel 2 (in Hebrew)

**The Kotel police often get a bad rap in progressive circles surrounding Women of the Wall, but I cannot begin to express enough my appreciation for their presence and their support to keep us safe and give us the opportunity to pray.