A 5 AM wake up on March 8th was easy for us at Heller High. We were eager and excited to travel to Jerusalem and be part of a historical protest by Women of the Wall, an organization that advocates for women’s equal rights and abilities to pray at the Western Wall. It is not kosher to hear women pray or allow women to read out of a Torah according to Chasidic law, and Women of the Wall and their supporters are often harassed by the Ultra-Orthodox for doing just that. For reform Jews, equal rights to prayer is one of our fundamental values, and we students wanted to advocate for a change. Our hopes ended in devastation when it was revealed how severe the protest was, which resulted in us being prohibited to go down into the action. Many people cried; others were struck with silence; others were engrossed in pure anger. Rabbi Sykes explained his decision to us, and he and his daughter reassured us that it was best for us not to participate.
Women of the Wall protests occur on Rosh Chodesh, the beginning day of the Hebrew months. This month was the month of Adar II, the month of Purim, so naturally, there was going to be a bigger crowd at the wall than normal, in addition to the Women of the Wall protest. To make matters worse, for weeks before, countless ads were put out in Israeli papers calling for Chasidic and ultra-orthodox Jews to converge on the women praying and stop the protests. Thousands of Chasidic men, women, and children skipped school and their plans that day to travel to Jerusalem and harass the protesters. They did not hold back and were extremely malicious.
Rabbi Sykes and his daughter, Mira, recounted their experiences and told of the horrors they faced. After entering the plaza, they were immediately separated, and Mira was harassed verbally by the Orthodox men while Rabbi Sykes was attacked physically. He explained that he would have bruises all over his body within the next couple days as a result of him protecting an elderly woman while at the same time being kicked and pushed by the Haredi men. When Mira was speaking, the pain behind her voice was clear. She said she was overwhelmed to the point of being fearful of her life. All while simply trying to pray on Rosh Chodesh and bring in one of the happiest months of the year.
I felt so many emotions at this experience. I was repulsed by the Sinat Hinam, senseless hatred, coming by people who claim to live by the Torah and be the holiest Jews. I was disappointed and disgusted that this is what Judaism had come to. I felt violated to be a woman and not have equal rights. It seemed so unjust and unreasonable, and I felt so helpless standing at the lookout point and feeling like I had absolutely no ability to do anything.
However, there is hope. There is a ripple effect from every protest, and the Ultra-Orthodox show that they feel threatened every time they show up to try and stop a protest. No matter how inferior and powerless we felt, the emotions we felt and our presence at the protest are a step in the direction of change.
Recount your experience at the Women of the Wall Protest. What emotion would you say was your dominant emotion felt and why?
Before we were told that we wouldn't be able to go down to the wall I mostly felt afraid. I didn't expect it to be as harsh as it was but the idea of facing off against the people protesting the women of the wall seemed like an impossible task at the time.
ReplyDeleteI most dominantly felt very shocked and disappointed at my women of the wall experience. I was very shocked to see the amount of violence and hatred being perpetrated by Jews toward fellow Jews. I also felt very disappoint in my own People for the fact that they were treating their own kind with such disrespect.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was being told the reasons we could not go down to the wall, and Rabbi Sykes was telling us what it was like down at the wall, I was filled with rage. All I could think was, how could they take something sacred and beautiful and desecrate it with violence and vial words? I felt a sense of rage at all those who came to a holy site with anger in their hard and malice in their minds. Taking something meant for all and claiming it as their own.
ReplyDeleteI had many emotions that it was hard to pinpoint one specifically. I think I didn't know how to react or process what was going on. It was awful to see so much violence--among Jews--at our holiest place that we have access to. I saw a whole other side of Judaism and politics that I've never experienced before.
ReplyDeleteThe dominant emotion which I felt during the Woman of the Wall protest was immediate frustration. For watching all branches of Judaism fight over a wall which is completely frowned upon and not accepted in our religion. I just wish the orthodox realized that this is how Judaism is changing and to learn to accept other sects other than themselves and learn to respect our values as reform Jews. Tension between a religion is never good for the future and representation as the nation of Israel.
ReplyDeleteLooking below at the women fighting internally to be able to simply stand and pray while men spat and shoved sparked an enormous amount of anger. Hearing Principal Sykes daughter talk about leaving the Kotel dripping with spit belonging to many Hassedim and the violence confused me. Women were blocking other women from entering the gerneral vicinity of the Women’s side. What was this? I had always known that Jews were persecuted, but by our own people? We, as jews, talk about the hardships of being Jewish and still people still feel the need to prove their version is right or better. The feeling that resonated the most: betrayal. If we cannot come together to face the hate outside of the community, what are we as a religion, culture, עם ?
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