This is the Forward’s coverage of the Western Wall, also called the Kotel, a Jewish holy site in Jerusalem adjacent to the Temple Mount.
Western Wall
The Latest
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News Shame of Indoor Women’s Section at Western Wall
(Haaretz) — “You don’t belong here,” said the man trying to shut the heavy wooden door in my face. “Get out.” I was standing in a little-known, indoor women’s section at the Western Wall, one that can be approached only through the outdoor men’s section. The space is clearly designated – in stone and glass…
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The Schmooze Ben and Jerry’s Excellent Holy Land Adventure
The Christmas-release underdog this year — in the ring with “American Hustle” and “Wolf of Wall Street” — is “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty,” in which Ben Stiller plays a man with a vivid imagination who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime. In an interview with Parade to promote the movie, Stiller dished about a…
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News Reform Movement, Seeking To Stem Decline, Eyes Religious Pluralism in Israel
When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke from Jerusalem recently to Reform Judaism’s large biennial conference via Jumbotron, the 5,000 Jews gathered here offered only pro forma applause as he restated his commitment to a two-state solution for Israel’s 46-year occupation of the West Bank. But then, Netanyahu turned to the issue of religious pluralism…
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Opinion Is Robinson’s Arch Part of Western Wall — Or Not?
(JTA) — The key dispute in the recent feud between Women of the Wall and some of the group’s founders is whether Robinson’s Arch — an area adjacent to the Kotel plaza meant for egalitarian prayer — counts as the Western Wall. Anat Hoffman and most of the group’s board has said they’re willing, in…
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The Schmooze No Kotel Bat Mitzvah for Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul canceled her much-hyped bat mitzvah at the Western Wall, opting instead for a low-key ceremony in the town of Safed, The Times of Israel reports. Per Israel’s Tourism Industry, which hosted the former “American Idol” and “The X-Factor” judge, the switch was due to jet lag. But the officiating rabbi, Eyal Riess of…
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Fast Forward 800 Gather for Women of Wall’s 25th Anniversary at Kotel
In a display of the changes the group has experienced this year, Women of the Wall held a peaceful prayer service under police protection at the Western Wall to mark the group’s 25th anniversary. Absent from Monday’s service, which the group said drew at least 800 worshippers, were large crowds of Orthodox girls who –…
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Fast Forward Women of Wall Make 16-Point Demand To Move Prayer to New Kotel Area
Women of the Wall presented the conditions under which the group would move its monthly prayer service to a third, egalitarian section of the Western Wall’s plaza. The 16 conditions – which the group’s leadership presented Monday ahead of a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – pertain to the section’s size, appearance, management,…
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News Women of Wall Deeply Split Over Anat Hoffman’s Acceptance of Prayer Deal
A dark cloud hangs over Women of the Wall’s 25th anniversary celebrations slated for November 4, as the movement stands on the verge of a major split. More than 100 supporters from North America, who are taking part in a special anniversary trip, will join WOW’s Israeli members at a monthly prayer meeting at the…
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