The Sivan Situation: by WOW Intern Gaby Mervis

Anat argues with a policeman

Last month, I based my blog post on a list of observations.  After this past Rosh Hodesh service, it seems only fitting to structure this post with a list of confrontations.  While I have only been to three WOW services, last week’s service was the most exciting (for better or for worse).  Being the photographer, I was consistently running from one situation to the next.  It felt like the altercations never stopped.

We started the morning with a plan.  Last month, we were told that one person could only bring in two or three siddurim, prayer books.  As our supporters use our siddurim to follow the service, this was unacceptable. Generally we have people bringing five siddurim each.  Anat decided to walk through security with 15 siddurim right in her arms, not even in a bag, in order to challenge this new arbitrary restriction.  We were ready for the security to challenge this move, but oddly enough, with cameras rolling, there seemed to be no problem bringing in all 15 of the siddurim.  Anat explained that every month the security forces seem to make up new rules that are not according to laws or legitimacy; and that it is almost like they are looking for new ways to bother us, consistent or not.

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Thoughts on Yesterday’s Tefilot, WOW Supporter Sheryl Eretz

Thoughts on Yesterday’s Tefilot, WOW Supporter Sheryl Eretz

I am glad that Ariella Rosen wrote her blog describing what happened two days ago on Rosh Hodesh Sivan at the Kotel.  She describes so eloquently what I was feeling.  I was standing next to her and I too was wearing a long tallit.
What exactly is one supposed to do when asked to change one’s tallit during Shema?  I think we both got it right — comply respectfully at the end of the prayer. Looking back, it was obvious that this was a trap.  Why else would the police officers wait 30 minutes until exactly that part of the service to ask us to remove our tallitot if not to catch us when we could not do so?

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From a Woman Of the Wall to the Women of the World, WOW Supporter Allison Green

Upon arriving in Jerusalem at the beginning of September, I looked forward to attending Rosh Hodesh services with Women of the Wall. However, like most recent college graduate, I found myself speeding through daily life, suddenly realizing that it was late April and I had lost track of time. I got caught up with work, training for various road races, going out with friends, grocery shopping in the shuk and cooking new recipes, squeezing in yoga classes here and there, etc. Most importantly, I had yet to wear my tallis at the Kotel and pray with Women of the Wall.

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