Israel – Women’s Prayer Groups at the Wall (1990)

Consistent with Judaism’s basic principles of equality for all people, Women’s League for Conservative Judaism is committed to the pursuit of equality in Jewish life and has a long-standing history of support for full religious participation of Jewish women in ritual life.

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism believes that:

1. Religious pluralism within Judaism is essential to Jewish unity and the democratic progressive development of Israel.
2. The Western Wall in Jerusalem is a holy place cherished by Jews of all shades of belief. As a national monument it belongs to all the Jewish people, and all Jews, regardless of gender, must be free to worship there.
3. The violent and undignified behavior of religious extremists is deplorable and serves only to demean the sanctity of the Wall.
4. Women have a right to worship at the Wall free from intimidation and harassment. We commend the “Women of the Wall,” a courageous and sincere body of women representing all the major Jewish religious movements, for their efforts to pray at the Wall. Women’s League stands united with the women’s groups throughout the United States and Canada who have conducted prayer services in solidarity with these women.

Women’s League for Conservative Judaism strongly urges the government of Israel and the Religious Affairs Ministry to clearly and unequivocally affirm that women have the same right to pray at the Western Wall as men, and to direct the police to protect this right.