In Israel, Women of the Wall Leaders Split On Concessions

In Israel, there has been a policy split among leaders of Women of the Wall, the group that has been pressing for equal rights for women to pray at the Western Wall wearing prayer shawls and reading from the Torah. Haaretz reported yesterday that last Sunday the WOW board, on the recommendation of the group's chair Anat Hoffman, voted to move their religious services from the women's section of the Western Wall Plaza to a new egalitarian section set up by the government, subject to a number of conditions. Among the conditions are that there be one entrance to a contiguous area encompassing all three sections of the Plaza, there be equal funding, and that the egalitarian space be run by a board that includes equal representation for women.  Yesterday a dozen long-time WOW activists-- most now in the United States-- released a letter taking issue with the decision of the WOW board.  The dissenters insist that the group pursue its original goal of equal rights to pray in the original women's section at the Wall.  Some of the dissenters are Orthodox and object to praying in the same space as men.