Supporters of Women of the Wall are planning solidarity prayer groups in major cities in the US and elsewhere next week, as the group heads to the Western Wall for services to mark Rosh Chodesh, the new moon.
Women of the Wall, headed by controversial Israeli activist Anat Hoffman, advocates for women to be able to read Torah at the Western Wall and pray using traditional garments like the prayer shawl or tallit. Women are currently barred from performing those acts at the Western Wall under Israeli law. In recent months, members of the group– including Hoffman– have been routinely detained by Israeli police during prayer services.
The battled has enraged many Jews in the diaspora and hundreds of their supporters are expected at solidarity events in New York, San Francisco, Washington D.C. and London, according to the group.
Moment profiles Hoffman, who struggles to take on Israel’s Orthodox establishment, in our recent issue. She has a large fan club in the U.S., but can she win?