A day after Anat Hoffman, chairwoman of the Women of the Wall prayer group, was detained for holding a Torah scroll at the Kotel, the Knesset Lobby for Civil Egalitarianism and Pluralism held a preplanned discussion Tuesday on the freedom of all Jewish streams to pray at the Western Wall.
The chairman of the Women of the Wall was banned from the Western Wall for 30 days after being arrested for holding a Torah scroll at the site. Jerusalem police arrested Anat Hoffman on Monday morning following the monthly women's Rosh Chodesh prayer service. She was taken in for questioning and held for five hours before she was released, the organization said.
An Israeli embassy effort to address the concerns of non-Orthodox Jewish leaders regarding the treatment of some worshippers at Jerusalem's Western Wall has instead inflamed many of them.
Recording of Anat Hoffman at Pro-Zion event held with Southgate Reform Synagogue on Thursday 26th November - Anat talks about the arrest of Nofrat Frankel and the history of Women of the Wall as well as the work of IRAC.
As we join together in announcing and blessing a new month, we stand with the Women of the Wall and all those working for religious pluralism and civil equality in Israel.
I am saddened and dismayed by recent events at the Western Wall. These events are a tragedy -- a blow to the State of Israel and to the unity of the Jewish people.
In recent months, Israeli police have increased pressure on Women of the Wall, a progressive monthly prayer group that meets at the Western Wall. In response to the interrogation of group leader Anat Hoffman, Rabbi Yoffie issued this statement.
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