On planet earth, people are always being divided and split up; whether it be by religion, skin color, or our political opinions, however I think one of the most defining factors of the division is by our gender. In Israel, hundreds of people go to the Western Wall daily to pray. When we went to the wall as a class for Women of the Wall, I found it hard to pray because there was a second wall that took my attention away. This wall split up the Male and Female section, giving the women a fraction of the size the men got to pray.
Women of the Wall fights to give women the right to pray and be able to read from the Torah when they are at the Western Wall. On Monday for Shushan Purim, we stood there, in our little female section, huddled in a circle around the Megillah chanting the prayers of our people. The rain beat down on our heads but that didn't stop up because this needs to be changed. For thousands of years men overruled women, we were taught to shrink ourselves down and to shut our minds up, not being able to speak our opinions. Living in the 21st century women's rights have progressed extremely far forward because of moments such as women of the wall.
We still have a long way until we are able to reach gender equality. For example, why do women get a significantly smaller place to pray? Why do we feel like we have to look over a wall to see the other gender praying, and why are we doing a program to fight for women's rights, but yet we have a strict dress code we have to dress by. It’s little things, like women of the wall, that will help answer these questions and one day create gender equality.
Looking at all of the women praying together, I felt very hopeful. It was very powerful to see something like that because for many generations women were not allowed to do things like this. I also found it extremely sad that there was a handful of women/men who were not okay with the activities that were taking place on that day. In everyday life, I will always stand up for women's rights and make sure that they are treated equally and discriminated against. This is extremely important to me.
ReplyDeleteIt made me feel very proud to see how women have been able to obtain even more gender equality compared to biblical times. It was very empowering to see how strong the role of women can be in Judaism. Before, women were not simply given the opportunity to read and chant Torah. However, now women finally have the chance to do it and the fact that I got to witness this made me feel very happy and proud to be a Jewish women. I do think the dress code is a bit strict, however considering that the Kotel is one of the holiest places for the Jewish people, it is important to pay respect to the site by dressing appropriately. I do not think it is too difficult to dress up for the occasion in order to pay homage to this holy site.
ReplyDeleteHearing the women chant the Migillah at the western wall was very empowering. I really liked how it was just a group of women there to pray, celebrate and support each other. I am usually against strict dress codes as I do not think the female body needs to be sexualized to the point where girls cannot wear what they want/are comfortable in. In this case, I think the dress code makes sense because it is not about sexualizing the female body its more of a matter of respect for everyone at the wall, and to make sure that everyone there is comfortable so they can pray.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was so cool to get to listen to the women chant the Megillah. It was so empowering to stand with Women of the Wall, because it's a group that I really support. Even though this isn't related to the questions, I wanted to say that the mechitzah dividing men and women doesn't distract me or make me uncomfortable. I understand that it's an important part of Orthodox Judaism. I don't think the mechitzah disallows gender equality at the Kotel. However, I don't like that the men's side is significantly larger than the women's. And I have no tolerance for people who are against letting women have Torahs or loud prayer on the women's side. In terms of the dress code, I don't really like that we have to conform to a certain type of dress to make other people more comfortable. It should be our choice because it's our own bodies.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite memories so far on EIE has been dancing and singing with Women of the Wall and their supporters after hearing the Megillah being recited on the women's side of the Kotel. I loved the feeling of togetherness I felt surrounded by those who I am so close with as well as those that I do not even personally know, but still knowing that we bond over the simple right to practice our Judaism. I felt really hopeful for the future of Reform Judaism, as well as other sects, and I have faith in my own future as a Jewish woman. Still, I do not think the strict dress code is unfair. Everyone is held to this standard. I do not even think it is too strict in the first place, and I believe that it is just a simple gesture of respect that we should give upon being in the presence of a site so close to the heart of the Jewish people.
ReplyDeleteIt was super cool to do that and see how excited and happy a lot of the women got. I had so much fun singing and dancing at the end. For the dress code I don't really care what they want me to wear because its just articles of clothing and if that's whats gonna make them feel good and respected than fine.
ReplyDeleteWatching all of the women pray together made me hopeful. It is really upsetting to me that women and men are not allowed to pray or be on the same side of the kotel. But seeing how much progress has been made makes me hopeful and excited for the future. Just a few years ago, women were not even allowed to pray out loud. Gender equality is really important to me as well. Women and men are both equal, so we should be treated this way.
ReplyDeleteLooking over at the women's side and seeing how they prayed together, it made me feel optimistic. It was not a long time in which women were not allowed to pray out loud or even pray at the kotel. It made me optimistic because it made me realize that even though women are treated differently from men, we had come so far and improved on Gender equality. Gender equality is extremely important to me and simply spreading the message that gender equality still does not completely exist, could make a huge difference.
ReplyDeleteStanding with all the other women chanting the Megillah and dancing after was really empowering and uplifting. However, it was also underwhelming, but I don't mean that as a bad thing. It shouldn't have to be a crazy thing that draws a lot of attention. The fact that it almost went unnoticed and could've been considered normal is truly amazing because that means it is becoming more accepted. When it comes to clothing I really don't mind the dress code because I understand it's purpose is simply for respect and modesty.
ReplyDeleteI felt very empowered while listening to the women chant. These are all very strong women and I felt so honored to be with them. It would take an immense amount of bravery to fight for this cause, it can even be potentially dangerous. About the dress code, I have mixed emotions. I believe women should be able to express themselves as they see fit at the wall, and as their own beliefs instruct them. But I also think we should acknowledge the other women and people who are praying, and do our best to not offend them.
ReplyDeleteStanding in a circle of women reading the megilah and singing songs was probably one of the coolest things I've ever done and I loved it so much. I felt like I was a part of something that could make a real difference. At the same time, I felt like I wasn't really making any statement. We were the only ones there, so there was no one to show our ruach to. That being said, I have faith that this movement will continue to make statements throughout the rest of history. When it comes to dress code, I'm not sure I have a complete opinion of what we should or shouldn't be wearing. I think it's important to respect everyone's opinions in a public place that is so holy, even if the dress code might seem outdated to a lot of us. I think there's a much longer conversation to be had about that, including the differences in denominations of Judaism which is not always fun to talk about.
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