Jewish Women in Israel Lack Same Rights as Men; Women Can't Wear Prayer Shawl at Western Wall

Israeli security guards at Jerusalem's Western Wall yesterday searched women worshipers arriving at the holiest place where Jews can pray with the Jewish prayer shawl, which -- under Israel's predominantly Orthodox Judaism -- can be worn only by men, the Times of Israel website reports today (December 15, 2012).

Once the shawls were found, dozens of women had to deposit them before proceeding to pray in the section reserved for women. A few women -- who managed to sneak the shawls under their coats and then wrapped them around their shoulders -- were promptly evicted.

Similar scenes have played out nearly a dozen times each year since the group known as "Women of the Wall" was established 25 years ago. Its members have endured arrests, heckling, and legal battles in a struggle to attain the right to pray at the Western Wall like men do.

Laura Geller -- a Reform rabbi at Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles -- was one of the women forced to leave her prayer shawl behind yesterday. She said, "It's interesting that Israel is one of the few countries in the world where I can't be the Jew that I am."