Jerusalem – A sign instructing separation between men and women which was posted in the Western Wall’s upper square was removed Tuesday by the site’s employees.
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The act follows claims according to which the holy site has been taken over by haredim employing strict modesty codes and led by Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz.
In addition, Israeli flags have been recently placed at the square, that have been missing in the last years. Their removal was also attributed to the ultra-Orthodox dominance at the site and was allegedly aimed to clear the Western Wall of Zionist characteristics.
The controversial sign, which stipulates that “out of respect to the sanctity of the site, one must adhere to a complete separation between men and women,” was placed several weeks ago at the upper square, which is normally not intended for prayer and does not enforce separation. The step prompted the protest of religious and secular activists in Jerusalem, led by a team from the “Yerushalmim” movement, who described the move as “a haredi take-over of the Western Wall.”
The movement welcomed the recent changes at the site and noted that they were made following meetings they held on the matter with leaders of the Western Wall Heritage Foundation, which employs Rabinovitz as the site’s rabbi.
Rachel Azaria, a city council member on behalf of “Yerushalmim” said, “The fact that the Western Wall rabbi made these decisions and altered his previous ones of removing the flags and posting the signs proves that the public in Israel can and must speak out about the Western Wall. The Western Wall belongs to everyone.”
Anat Mufkadi, who is in charge of the movement’s activity on Western Wall affairs added, “We shall keep acting until we restore the status quo at the site.”
Members of “Yerushalmim” have already targeted future goals: Cessation of the modesty stewardesses’ work, restoring the Jewish Agency’s nationalization and aliyah ceremonies and removing the partitions and cancelling the separate pathways for men and women in the upper square.
‘Sign has no bearing’
Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitz stated in response, “We have never required separation in the upper square whenever prayers weren’t held. Separation signs are placed during large prayer rallies or during events such as the priestly blessing. All signs, apart from one, which was left there by mistake, have been removed. The sign had no bearing on matters in the upper square, which anyone visiting it can see.
“So far, the elements which are trying to turn the Western Wall into disputed territory have not approached us in order to avert our attentions as to the meaning of this sign, or actual lack there of. We removed the sign once we realized it was used to misguide the public and compromise the solidarity of the Western wall for political purposes.”
Referring to the flags, the rabbi noted that those had been removed due to construction work done at the site.
To be honest, who is to tank and give credit that the wall is in our hand in the first place? The heridim or the government?! We can’t send their children to be killed and then taking control over the wall. No that’s not right.
In other words where there is lots of Kedusha there is lots on Tumah
To be honest, there’s nothing to celebrate that the wall is in Israeli hands, unless you’re happy to have only the “wall” instead of the geulah shelaima. The only people to tank (sic) for keeping yiddishkeit alive are those who keep Torah with mesiras nefesh.
And once again we see the wisdom of the Satmar Rebbe in refusing to go to the kosel, and by doing so praising the zionist government for giving us the kosel. Everywhere in the world, every religious place adheres to its rules, and tourists are instructed to abide by them. That goes for muslim mosgues, christian churches, tibetan palaces, and hindu temples. But in Jerusalem, we dare offend anyone! This sickness must be cured.
Yisroel B’tach B’ashem
(not B’Chayil)
We have to thank HASHEM for giving the S’atah D’shmaya and Koach to do his will Thank Hashem for giving us a closer place to the Shechina to daven
Thank Hashem for a glimpse of true Tzion and what is coming in the future.
The best Degel is Emunas Hashem
This whole brouhaha is basically caused by a group of leftist, feminist women who have purposely started to daven in talleitim. These women have an agenda and it’s all part of a much larger agenda that is going on in Israel today; the deJudaization of Israel. There was a whole writeup about it in Arutz 7 just the other week or so. They are the ones who want the status quo changed. Everyone, Jew and non-Jew, understand that it is a very holy site and just like in other countries, people have no objection to respecting the site by dressing accordingly and giving it the honor and respect it deserves. How much more so the Kotel?
BH that the kosel is available for us to visit, daven and plead to hakodesh baruch who. The inspiration and kedushah at a bircas kohanim or late night nishmas is everlasting. If the Satmar Rov didnt visit, that is his choice, …I am glad to be able to daven with Rav Elyashuv, Rav S. Auverbach, Rav Sheinberg, and all the Chassidisha Admorim.
Dont the anti-frum realize that before 67 the people who went to daven there were the ones who FELT the connection to HKBH and not the typical cardiac jews?
The Har Habayis is a makom kodesh. This is not at the same madreigah.
Kol hakovod to Rav Rabinovitz for taking a more liberal position on allowing men and women to mix on the plaza and share the kedushah of the site together. It sounds like Rabinovitz has been instructed by the government to accomodate the needs of secular Israelis and not be so machmir on the how and when women can daven and participate in events. Its nice to see at least one of these rabbonim show some respect for womens’ rights.
I have never been there a visitor but I heard stories from those who visited places like the Tel-Hashomer Hospital and the Rambam hospital in Haifa. Listen to the stories of those who were maimed and injured and you have more derech eretz for those regardless of being a dati or chiloni who were injured and others who were buried