A Torah scroll, a baby carrier – and a new confrontation
At the break of dawn, under the golden hue of Jerusalem’s ancient stones, a group of women draped in prayer shawls gathered near the women’s section of the Western Wall. They sang quietly, surrounding a Torah scroll discreetly hidden in a baby carrier. But peace was short-lived
Guards from the Western Wall Heritage Foundation approached, voices rose, and one of the guards was reportedly injured. Within moments, a monthly prayer service turned into another flashpoint in the decades-long battle over religious rights and gender equality in Jerusalem
Religious law, civil rights – and the monthly showdown
The incident occurred on Rosh Chodesh, the start of the new Hebrew month, when Women of the Wall traditionally gather for prayer. This time, their attempt to bring a Torah scroll—against official rules—sparked public outrage and physical confrontation.
Founded in 1988, Women of the Wall is a coalition of Jewish women from across the spectrum—religious, secular, and traditional—who seek equal prayer rights at the Western Wall. Despite rulings by Israel’s High Court supporting egalitarian prayer, the Orthodox establishment and the site’s religious authorities continue to ban Torah scrolls in the women’s section
What unfolds every month is more than a legal debate. It’s a cultural clash between tradition and reform, between status quo and progressive change
Symbol or provocation? The scroll in the carrier
This time, the symbolic act of concealing a Torah inside a baby carrier touched a nerve. Was it a form of protest—or of provocation? The question lingers as Jerusalem once again becomes the epicenter of a battle not only over prayer, but over the soul of Jewish identity itself
(Jerusalem’s Public Transit Is on the Verge of Collapse)
Among the group’s leading figures are Anat Hoffman, head of the Israel Religious Action Center and former Jerusalem city council member; and Lesley Sachs, a veteran feminist activist and legal campaigner.
Both are decorated public figures who’ve led legal and social battles for decades. Yet even among liberal voices, the method raises questions
When a sacred object is hidden like contraband, some wonder whether the struggle still aims to inspire—or merely to defy
