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7 Nissan 5763 - April 9, 2003 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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NEWS
High Court Rules Women of the Wall can Hold Their Provocative Ceremonies at a Special Site
by Betzalel Kahn

Nine High Court judges ruled on Sunday that a Conservative group called Women of the Wall could hold their quasi- religious ceremonies at the Kosel Maarovi, but determined that the government must prepare an area near the Robinson Arch, located in the archaeological garden near the southwest corner of the Wall, for their use. The High Court is allowing the State one year to prepare the grounds. Otherwise it will permit the group to hold its ceremonies at the Western Wall Plaza.

Five judges--Aharon Barak, Theodore Or, Mishael Cheshin, Yitzhak Englard and Yaakov Turkel--voted in favor of holding the ceremonies at a specially designated site, while the other four--Dorit Beinish, Shlomo Levine, Tova Strasberg and Eliyahu Matza--said the ceremonies should be permitted at the Kosel itself.

This week's decision differs from a similar ruling handed down three years ago that permitted the women's group to pray at the Western Wall Plaza, but not wearing tallis and tefillin. Following the earlier decision, Attorney General Eliakim Rubinstein filed an appeal which was decided on Sunday.

During the appeal process the nine judges arranged to survey the area in order to gain a firsthand impression of workings of the Western Wall Plaza. Their request to tour the entire area suggests they had little familiarity with the Kosel area -- the place where millions of Jews pour out their prayers every year.

Rav Shmuel Rabinovitz, the rov of the Kosel Hama'arovi and holy sites, said the High Court decision will prevent provocations by the Conservative group. "Through the decision not to allow their ceremonies at the Western Wall, chilul hakodesh and chilul Sheim Shomayim, unnecessary machlokes and offending the praying public have been prevented. There is no place at the Western Wall Plaza for ceremonies that contradict the Jewish tradition, and just create divisiveness and fragmentation."

 

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