Living in the US, I'm sure you remember the traditions, sanctified by God according to some people and downright holy to some others, that "coloreds" sit in the back of the bus, that women aren't allowed to vote, etc. Then there were those other traditions that called for stoning left and right for all sorts of sins. What happened to all of those and when/why did they stop being holy and/or traditions? This is not personal, but only a rhetorical question: Isn't there a mitzvah requiring Jews to live in Israel? The fact that people with agendas peddle traditions as sacred doesn't make them holy. It just makes for a lot of hypocrisy. From the looks of it, Judaism doesn't have a monopoly on any of them. I find it disingenuous that women, whose very nature determines who is and isn't a Jew seem to get the short end of the stick so often, especially in Israel.

Even our dear Christian friends have more respect for the decorum and holiness of the Western Wall site than do these provocateurs. Never has any Christian group attempted to disrupt this area with a Christian prayer service or their bringing in crosses and other signs of their religion. And yet, these disrespectful women have no shame and undermine the inherent sanctity of the place not to mention they come knowingly to upset other worshipers and make a "scene". They are a disgrace. Shame on them and shame on those who egg them on and support their anti-Jewish efforts.

perhaps iran is becomming more and more like israel ......to be continued

Oh wait. This is the High Court we're talking about? Never mind.

I distinctly remember sitting in a Temple after 1967, listening to the Reform rabbi tell the congregation that the Kotel is just a pile of rocks and has no meaning for modern, enlightened 20th century Jews. Anat Hoffman is a Reform minister, therefore the Kotel has no intrinsic spiritual significance for her, other than as a backdrop for her media attention stunt.

the correct anatomical pieces Freud would have a field day with these women

They need to go learn of all the wonderful Mitzvot that Hashem gave us women, especially Challah, Nida and Hadlakat Neirot. I feel so fulfilled and close to Hashem with the Mitzvot he gave me and then I have time for Bikkur Cholim, Hachnassat Orchim, Hachnassat Kallah, Tzniut, Tzedaka , giving my kinderlach a proper Jewish education, setting a Jewish tone in my home, saying Tehillim and learning Chitat that I have no need to wear a talit or try to steal Mitzvot that Hashem gave to men. If I were the Judge I would sentence Anat Hoffman to spend 6 months in a Chabad House!

She was arrested for HOLDING a Torah. Learn to read.

The Kotel which after Temple Mount is the holiest place to jews and as such the rules by which the compound is run is based on Halachic judaism not the modern more secular ideals. This woman is also part of the group called Women of the Wall and they are a womens rights religious group which say women should have the same rights when it comes to religion as men do. They are trying to politicize religion. Just because the secular world has changed and given women equal rights each other doesn't mean that religion must change and give women the same rights as men. Secular & religious issues do not mix and its religion is not suppose to change to fit in with current popular opinions. I have a cousin who is orthodox one day he was with his sons visiting Windsor Castle in England. As they were orthodox they had their head covered and were wearing baseball caps. They were part of an official guided tour and the guide took the group into the queens private chapel. When they were in she asked them to take their hats off because out of respect for the queen or something the wearing of hats in there is not permitted. He told her he was jewish and had nothing else to wear on his head if he took of his hat but the guide said sorry but either you take off your hat or you wait outside. He didn't make a scene and say I am paying for this tour like everybody else so I should be able to wear my hat inside. Instead he didn't like being told take off the hat or leave the chapel he accepted that was their custom and he went outside. If these women in Israel are there for religion they will say to themselves I think that we should be allowed to do all these things but as I am here for religious reasons then I will just accept thats the custom here and do things the way all the other women do. If they are there to make a political stunt then they have no business there at all and should be removed. The Kotel is not the place for political stunts which are an attempt to justify watering down judaism so it fits in with their way of thinking.

they want to read torah and tommorrow they will want to marry gays--it is a culture war and hopefully reason will intervene but either way 'progressives' must lose

You showed your true colors with the first sentence. I, too, am missing what you call "correct anatomical pieces" and I couldn't care less what Freud would have to say about it. I only know that I can think as logically and fast, if not faster, than a lot of humans with "the correct anatomical pieces" and there's no doubt in my mind that God would be pissed as hell, if I wasted His/Her gifts, and put on some "poor, li'l ol' helpless me, if I were only a man" act. When I was a child I couldn't understand why my brother could relieve himself behind a tree, while I, trying the same thing, would soak my socks and shoes. Seeing the reason one day when my brother was bathing, I told my mother that I wanted "one of those." I didn't understand until after she was gone what she had meant, but at some point I remembered the gist of her words: "Liebchen, take my word for it. When you grow up, you can always get one of those with what you have." I never tested that theory personally, but looking around, she was a lot more right than mistaken.

Kudos MH for an enjoyable post !!

This is the same Anat Hoffman with whom I had a famous debate several years ago, entitled, HOFFMAN vs.HOFFMAN...THE ROAD TO PEACE, RIGHT OR LEFT! As leader of the renegade "Women in Black", who believe in giving 'land for peace' to the Arabs (except of course, where they live) Anat Hoffman's agenda in desecrating the HOLY WESTERN WALL ...is clearly NOT for PRAYING RIGHTS FOR WOMEN (they can pray like all women do at the designated area of the KOTEL,) Rather, Hoffman and her cohortts seek to break down T-ORAH LAW IN ISRAEL which forbids giving up any part of Eretz Yisrael to non-Jews! Shifra Hoffman Founder THE VICTIMS OF ARAB TERROR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION

The ezrat nashim at the Beit HaMikdash was only used for Simchat Beit HaShoeva, the water libation celebration of Sukkot, which by ancient standards, was a pretty crazy party, not a prayer service!

"The Western Wall is a place of unity for the people of Israel, not a place of polarization and differences. ...and particularly on the nine days before Tisha B'Av, the day our Temple was destroyed due to unfounded hatred." Ahhh..unfounded hatred. Precisely. The women were praying, perhaps not to the liking of the haredim..but in a different and profound way, and they were arrested. unfounded hatred for women who pray with the love of the Torah in their hands. I don't get it.

to those who follow Torah Whenever a Hareidi does something not to their liking they always seem to invoke the Law of the State, The Holy Bagatz formed in the image of the Saintly Revered Aharon Barak who is so highly admired by Elena Kagan nominee for the Supreme Court of the USA who doesn't even have one day experience as a Judge Well to you poor disgruntled individuals who are not allowed to do what thyou want.... What Anat Hoffman did was against the Law, not Torah Law but Law decided by the Supreme Court of Israel, so chew on that

I realize Israel is a hard enough place land to live in geography wise weather wise so on why bother some utterly poor J*wish women who want to pray with the J*wish men at the Western Wailing Wall it should be a right for all regardless of gender they do have babys besides our women are the poorest average income $ 8 000 a year average non J*wish women over $ 80 000 a year bless them for surviving on less money than the lowest women any where else do them to arest them like this a real shame attitudes regarding our own women should change give them house hold money money to marry money for food treat them right shame up on J*wish men for being so stereotyped bad to our women around the world America Russia the U K France so on SHAME UP ON YOU J*WISH MEN SHAME UP ON YOU RIGHT ??? Thank You... M. S.