Attorney general bans Women of the Wall priestly blessing

Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit ruled Thursday that the Women of the Wall organization cannot hold a planned priestly blessing prayer service at the Western Wall, set to take place on Sunday during Passover.

Mandelblit met Thursday morning with representatives from the Israel Police, Prime Minister’s Office, Justice Ministry and Religious Affairs Ministry, as well as Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, to discuss the ceremony.

Following the meeting, Mandleblit said the pluralistic group, which works for the right of women to pray at the Western Wall, cannot hold their “Birkat Kohanot” prayer service in the women’s section of the Western Wall, since it contravenes traditional custom, and therefore violates the rules of the religious site. In Orthodox practice, the prayer is solely recited by male descendants of the priestly caste.

The Western Wall, Judaism’s holiest prayer site, is administered by ultra-Orthodox authorities who have a monopoly over religious affairs in Israel and oppose mixed-gender or female-led prayers.

In a statement released this week to publicize the event scheduled for Sunday, the group, which has held monthly prayer services at the Western Wall for the past 27 years, said the service was aimed at preserving the tradition by making it more accessible.

“Today women are equal members in the Jewish community, and Women of the Wall is dedicated to reclaiming the priestly blessing for women. In congregations all over the world and in Jerusalem there are only a few women who take on this spiritual responsibility,” the statement read. “To Women of the Wall it seems that the world could use more blessings, and for that, we need to encourage women to stand up and take their place as leaders in Jewish ritual.”

The group said in response to Mandelblit’s decision that it would nevertheless proceed with the service as planned.

“It is infuriating that the decision was given to us at the last moment, without the benefit of hearing our side before making it, as required by Israel’s Administrative Law. Also, the decision was made at such a time that we cannot appeal it to the Supreme Court,” said Riki Shapira, an attorney and Women of the Wall board member, in a statement.

“Women of the Wall believe that following today’s events, hundreds of women will join the women’s festive prayer that will take place, as planned, on Sunday morning, first day of Hol Hamoed, at 8:45 AM, in the women’s section of the Western Wall,” she added.

Shapira said transportation will be provided from “all over the country, just as planned.”

In a historic move, Israel’s cabinet voted two months ago to modify and enhance a plaza for mixed gender prayer at the Western Wall, adjacent to the current Orthodox prayer plaza. It was viewed as a victory for liberal streams of Judaism, which are dominant in the US.

But the plan has run into fierce opposition from ultra-Orthodox lawmakers and groups in Israel, many of whom wield influence within Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s narrow coalition government.

A string of ultra-Orthodox leaders have criticized the deal and insulted Reform Jews. On January 31, the day the government approved the deal, lawmaker Moshe Gafni of the United Torah Judaism party called Reform Jews “clowns.” In late February, Israel’s chief rabbis asked the government to freeze the agreement.

The deal would expand the wall’s non-Orthodox section and construct a shared entrance for both sides. Women of the Wall has agreed to move its monthly services to the non-Orthodox section once the deal is implemented.

The decision, which allows for the construction of a massive 10,000 square feet permanent prayer area and the establishment of a new pluralistic entrance for the entire Western Wall plaza, is a benchmark case in that it would mark the first time the State of Israel is giving formal recognition to the rights of millions of Liberal Jews, complete with budget.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.