Women of the Wall: Claiming Sacred Ground at Judaism's Holy Site (Hardcover)

by Phyllis Chesler (Editor), Rivka Haut (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
For the past 14 years, a multidenominational group of women has tried to conduct a women's prayer service-Torah scrolls, prayer shawls and all-at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Since their first attempt to pray there in 1988, Women of the Wall (WOW) has engaged in a political, legal and religious struggle against the State of Israel that continues today, though the group is hardly anti-Israel or anti-religious. This anthology traces the genesis, history and impact of what is now an international grassroots effort on behalf of Jewish women's religious rights. Haut, an Orthodox Jew, and Chesler, a feminist author and psychologist, present essays from 30 women who recreate the drama of praying together; explore the Jewish legal issues around women wearing and using ritual objects, and express their deep connection to the Wall. The essays reflect the diversity of voices, but the repetition of basic information in almost every piece slows the narrative flow and dilutes the book's power. The first two descriptions of the first prayer service, at which the women were "cursed, threatened, pushed, shoved, spit upon and bitten," injured by heavy metal chairs thrown at them, hospitalized and arrested, are horrifying. By the fourth mention, however, it's almost old hat. Still, the universal themes that erupt in this specific context are worthy of broad reader interest: discrimination, democracy, religious pluralism, anger at the silencing of women, solidarity, sisterhood and the sacredness of place.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
On the morning of December 1, 1988, an international, multidenominational group of Jewish women approached the Kotel (formerly known as the Wailing, or Western, Wall) in Jerusalem to conduct a women's prayer service. The women-including editors Chesler (a psychotherapist and author of Women and Madness) and Haut (coeditor of Daughters of the King: Women and the Synagogue)-were jeered at, cursed, threatened, and assaulted: "proper" Jewish women do not pray aloud in public, carry or read from the Scroll, or wear ritual objects. WOW-Women of the Wall-was born. For the next 14 years, they fought for their right to continue prayers at the Kotel in this way, which is not prohibited by Jewish law but was banned by Israeli law because it caused such a riot. This is the story of WOW's continuing struggle. Divided into four sections, it contains thoughtful personal accounts by participants, keen legal and political analysis, various denominational views, and discussion of halakhic theory and ritual objects. This is the first book-length treatment of this landmark case in Jewish women's spirituality, feminism vs. Orthodox tradition, pluralism in Israeli society, and basic human rights. Highly recommended for Judaica collections.
Marcia Welsh, formerly with Guilford Free Lib., CT
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 429 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Publishing; illustrated edition edition (December 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580231616
• ISBN-13: 978-1580231619
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #874,238 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A struggle for religious and gender equality, November 21, 2003

By	Norman Goldman "Editor of Bookpleasures.com" (Montreal) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"A struggle for religious and gender equality"
In December of 1988 Jerusalem was the scene of the First International Jewish Feminist Conference entitled "The Empowerment of Jewish Women."

It was within this context that a group of Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, and unaffiliated Jewish women decided to pray collectively in the women's section at the historic Western Wall known as the Kotel.

What was noteworthy at the time was the women had worn prayer shawls and they also had read from the Torah Scroll. As soon as the group opened the Torah Scroll they were confronted with ultra orthodox men and women cursing them and even threatening bodily harm. These ultra orthodox men and women, who are referred to as "Charedi" believed it was blasphemous for women to pray collectively, chant and read from the Torah Scroll at the KOTEL.

Women Of The Wall edited by Phyllis Chesler and Rivka Haut comprises the writings of over thirty-five contributors who recount how the struggle has continued for the past fourteen years in order that these women, who are referred to as WOW, may relive the first service.

Despite several legal victories the struggle still continues, as they are still not permitted even to stand together and pray aloud as a group at the Kotel. It chronicles the verbal and physical violence the group has had to endure, the court battles and the personal experiences of some of the participants.

The book also analyzes the legal and political battles as well as the various views expressed by the different branches of Judaism.
For many readers the first question that probably comes to mind is why is it so important that the prayers and the services take place at the Kotel. One of the contributors, Haviva Ner-David best sums it up when she asserts: "The Kotel has always symbolized for me the Jewish people's return to Zion in the twentieth century. It was one of the retaining walls of our Second Temple. The feeling I have when standing there about the history of the place is so powerful. The fact that we are so privileged to be able to pray there, and that only thirty-five years ago we could not, is reason enough to feel pulled to the site."
For others, the struggle is about fighting against being silenced and as they maintain, there is no religious law that expressly prevents them from praying in the manner that they have chosen. According to Frances Raday "The violence against the Women of the Wall (WOW) is a manifestation of the attempt of ultra-religious activists to preserve their patriarchal hegemony."

The book serves as not only a description of one group's tenacity in fighting for their rights, but also as a fascinating insight into the various views concerning the freedoms of expression and assembly.

The above review first appeared on the reviewer's own site

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable and Important Book, May 22, 2003

By	Barbara Cohen (CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is a collection of stories pertaining to the very public struggle that Jewish women face in an attent to pray together at the Western Wall (Kotel). Women do have their own separate section to pray at the Western Wall, but there are certain activities from which they are prohibited by Israel law. Each story is more powerful and passionate than the next, describing how these women still today are prohibited from praying as a group, praying aloud,singing collectively, using a Toral scroll or wearing talliot at the wall. In fact, the Israeli Court has prohibited such activities by law. These stories set forth in heartfelt detail the contridictions that these women face within their own religion in an attenpt to be a part of the same spiritual groups who are confronting and challenging their very efforts. Women of the Wall (WOW) have been involved in this struggle since l988, and the stories in this book show, with clarity and beauty how these women still today respond to these prohibitions. This is a book that must be read.