Women at the Kotel: Two Perspectives

On January 3rd and 4th, at 12:00 PM, JOFA will be hosting two webinars, respectively: one with Women of the Wall Nashot HaKotel and one with Original Women of the Wall - תפילת נשים בכותל. Join us to learn more about these two organizations fighting for women's rights at the Kotel!

On Wednesday, we will hear from Anat Hoffman, Chair of the Board of Women of the Wall: Anat Hoffman is the executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center, the legal and advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel. Previously, she held a seat on the Jerusalem City Council, where for fourteen years she stood in opposition to the policies of the city’s right-wing and ultra-Orthodox administration. She has dedicated her adult life to the Jewish principle of tikkun olam, which literally means repairing the world.

On Thursday, we will hear from Cheryl Birkner Mack and Shulamit Magnus:

Cheryl Birkner Mack holds a masters' degree in Jewish education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. She taught rabbinics and biblical studies in Cleveland and served on the Board of the Jewish Educators Assembly in the United States. She moved to Israel in 2006 where she teaches English and other subjects. She served on the Board of Women of the Wall, helped to edit their siddur and served as gabbait during services. She has also served as a coach for the Israel Association of Baseball. Cheryl resigned from the Women of the Wall Board over the decision to enter into negotiations with the Israeli government to move to Robinson’s Arch and is now an activist with Original Women of the Wall. She is a plaintiff in the suit brought by the group for enforcement of the right for women to read Torah.

Shulamit Magnus is Professor Emerita of Jewish Studies and History at Oberlin College. She is a Jewish historian and winner of a National Jewish Book Award and a Hadassah-Brandeis Award for several of her books. She is a founder of Women of the Wall; read Torah at the Kotel at the first women's tefilla there; was on the ground with the group in the first year of its existence, when the group experienced appalling violence there; was a plaintiff, along with Rivka Haut, Norma Joseph, Phyllis Chesler and others from North America on the first women's Supreme Court suit to win recognition of Jewish women's prayer rights at the Kotel; and is a plaintiff on the second of such suits, being brought by activists of Original Women of the Wall, for enforcement of all such rights, specifically, Torah reading.