Jan 8, 2016

Permanent Space to Be Created at the Kotel for Egalitarian Prayer

The Israeli Cabinet approved a historic plan on January 31, 2016 to create a permanent space for egalitarian prayer at the Kotel (Western Wall) in Jerusalem. The decision comes after decades of work by The Jewish Federations of North America; the Conservative and Reform movements; Women of the Wall; Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency for Israel, Federation’s long-time overseas partner; and Israeli Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit, among others.

Approval of the new space is a dramatic, unprecedented and critical acknowledgement by the State of Israel that Judaism’s holiest site — the Kotel — should incorporate the traditions of the Masorti (Conservative) and Reform streams, in which men and women pray together.

While the new section could take two years to create, it will reportedly accommodate as many as 1,200 people and will jointly governed by a new body including Women of the Wall and the Masorti and Reform movements and led by Natan Sharansky.

“In terms of human rights and the Jewish people, it is the right thing to do,” said Sharansky, a Soviet-born Israeli activist who spent nine years in Soviet prisons for allegedly spying for the American Defense Intelligence Agency. He has served as Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency since June 2009.

According to the Jewish Journal, “Sharansky said the Wall controversy has underscored one of the biggest ‘internal’ problems facing Israel today – the tension between Israel’s and the Diaspora’s definition of who is a Jew, with the fight over the wall serving as ‘the most visual example of’ this.”

In discussing the announcement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "[Government Secretary Avichai Mandelblit] acted at my behest over the past year in cooperation with Natan Sharansky, to try and reach a solution on the question of the Women of the Wall. While I know that this is a delicate issue, I think that this is a fair and creative solution. The most complex problems usually require such solutions and I congratulate you on what you have submitted for a decision by the Cabinet."

Click here to view a short video about this historic accomplishment.