A few days ago five women were arrested at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. They are part of a small but persistent group who are upholding the right of women to worship at this holy place, wearing the prayer shawls which men have traditionally worn and reading scripture publicly, again a male preserve.
Just to remind you, this wall, made up of 2000-year-old limestone blocks is part of the retaining perimeter for what was the temple mount in Jesus' time. The temple was destroyed in 70 AD and the wall largely disappeared beneath two millenia of detritus. It has been excavated since the 1967 war and a plaza was built so that large groups can assemble. But it is orthodox Jewish men who lay claim to the wall as a place of worship with a small and separate area for women. The shawls are a statement about religious equality and freedom of expression in a nation where secular democracy and religious conservatism constantly butt heads.
It will be interesting to see how this develops. There is a proposal to create a mixed gender worship area just to the south of the wall, but I have the feeling that these women want equality rather than placation, and I understand why. This is one more example of the long, slow shift in societies and religions toward gender equality. A group of old men elected a pope in Rome recently while women quietly protested outside. Islamic women in many countries have begun to express themselves more freely, although not without cost. It will happen, but sadly conservative religion is often the most entrenched bastion of resistance.
Did you know about the women at the Western Wall? Do you just shake your head in annoyance that they have to do this for equality? Do you admire their resolve?
2 comments:
Annoyance is there for me, for sure.
What are these groups of men so recalcitrant for? Tradition? Dogma?In an age of strengthening secularism, you'd think ANY religious group would be thinking progressively (or, dare I say, "in a modern fashion") if it meant drawing more people into the tent.
Religious principles are admirable things, so long as they don't discriminate against a group (or, half the human race, as the case may be.)
Duh!
The deep seated traditions in Jewish Orthodoxy, most especially on how the religion treat's it's women was a driving factor for me to leave the religion. I grew up in a matriarchal family, and my religion says she can't be my equal??
One of the many reasons, definately.
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