A-G nixes Women of the Wall priestly blessing

21 April 2016, 1:52 pm

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Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit rules the Women of the Wall cannot hold a priestly blessing prayer service on Sunday at the Western Wall.

The attorney general meets with representatives from the Israel police, prime minister’s office, Justice Ministry and Religious Affairs Ministry, as well as the Western Wall rabbi.

Following the meeting, he says the pluralistic group cannot hold their “Birkat Kohanot” prayer service in the women’s section of the Western Wall on Passover, since it contravenes the traditional customs, thus violating the rules of the Western Wall. In Orthodox practice, the prayer is solely recited by male descendants of the priestly caste.