The Women of the Wall

       Judaism has always emphasized the importance of group prayer. Each individual is able to see themselves as part of a larger, collective people when praying together, they experience a collective spiritual connection to a divine energy. I had the wonderful opportunity this past weekend to go the the Kotel and pray together with the Women of the Wall. The Women of the Wall is a group of Jewish women from around the world and from all different denominations who strive to achieve the right, as women, to wear prayer shawls, pray and read from the Torah collectivey, out loud, and freely at the Western Wall. They not only seek personal fulfillment in group prayer and Torah reading at the most sacred site, but also want to achieve recognition by the legal, social and religious Israeli establishment at the wall for the sake of all Jewish women. The group, with a membership that is not only multi-denominational but spans the political spectrum, embodies a message of tolerance and pluralism and is stronger than ever.

       Each time I go to the Kotel, I am never disappointed with the effect that it has on me, I am constantly in awe of its glory and beauty which it holds as a symbol of Jewish unity. This time when I entered the Kotel, I was not there just to take in the wonder of the setting and to focus on myself, but I was there to join in with a group of incredible, dedicated, and extravagant costume wearing women who are determined to fight for undeniable rights. As we all stood together with the Migilah scroll open wide, the voices of women rising high, a feeling of empowerment stemmed from within. Even though the sun was almost unbearable and standing up for one more second seemed impossible, we stood together, people from all different backgrounds and denominations and beliefs. That was the incredible aspect, that even if I had walked right past one of the women on the street without realizing, in these moments of prayer, we all stood as one united group with an invincible connection. I felt like I had done so much more than standing and listening, I felt as though I was part of this significant movement, supporting women from all over in striving for acknowledgment and equality. Taking an active and vocal role in community prayer empowered me to use my voice in prayer and struggle, even in the face of attempts to silence women and the Jewish people as a whole.