Israel approves space for men and women to pray together at Western Wall
On Sunday, Israel's Cabinet voted to allow non-Orthodox Jewish prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
The Western Wall is administered by ultra-Orthodox rabbinic authorities, The Associated Press reports, and there are separate prayer sections for men and women. Prayers led by women and mixed-gender services are forbidden, and in 2013, after complaints from more liberal Jews in the Reform and Conservative movements, a temporary prayer platform for mixed-gender prayer was put up. Now, the government plans to build a $9 million permanent platform for mixed-gender prayer adjacent to the Orthodox prayer area. This new section will not be managed by the Western Wall's ultra-Orthodox rabbi, but rather representatives of the Reform and Conservative movements.
A source told AP that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted the plan to go through to please American Jews, despite opposition from the ultra-Orthodox and some members of his government. In Israel, most Jews are secular but follow Orthodox traditions, and Reform and Conservative rabbis are not recognized.
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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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