There are few places in the world where politics are truly more bizarre than in Texas. And Israel is one of those places. Perhaps the larger story of the day is the Israeli government's disregard for the peace process. On Tuesday, they announced plans to expand settlements inside Jersualem. I wish I could say I was surprised.
But there is another story that shouldn't be ignored: the arrest of Nofrat Frenkel for the terrible crime of wearing a prayer shawl and reading from the Torah at the Kotel (Western Wall). Frenkel is part of a group called Women of the Wall.
Their mission:
Our purpose is both social advocacy – to change the current status quo which prevents women from being able to pray freely at the Western Wall, to educate Jewish women and the public in general about the social, political and human rights issues involved in women’s right to pray as a prayer group; and to empower Jewish women to take control of their religious and prayer lives. WOW stands with other non-ultraorthodox activists in the forefront of the movement for religious pluralism in Israel. WOW offers a unique contribution as the only group reclaiming public holy space by our regular presence at the Western Wall.
The women of the wall are not looked upon kindly by the ultra-Orthodox. From a sermon by Rabbi Yosef:
Teffilin (phylacteries) she must be careful not to lay. There are stupid women who come to the Western Wall, put on a tallit (prayer shawl), and pray...These are deviants who serve equality, not Heaven. They must be condemned and warned of.
You've been warned.
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