Women are not welcome at the Western Wall, not even on Hanukkah

Recently, I was honored to be named by the BBC as one of the 100 most influential women for 2024. The list highlights extraordinary women whose actions are reshaping the world. Yet, among all of them, one stands out to me in particular — Einav Zangauker, the courageous mother whose strength over the past 14 months has inspired so many, burning with longing for her son Matan, to ignite a massive mobilization for the captives.

As the chairwoman of Women of the Wall, I want to invite Einav to the Western Wall for a moment of hope and sisterhood, to light a Hanukkah candle and share in the light of this festival.

However, there is one place in Israel where hearts remain closed — the Western Wall. The Wall, a national site sacred for prayer and supplication, is where Einav, like many other women, is not welcome.

Unfortunately, whether it is Einav Zangauker, or the mother of a fallen soldier, or the wife of a reservist, or any woman wishing to be present to light the Hanukkah candles, the Kotel rabbi, Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovitch, will not allow her to participate.

As long as she is a woman, her basic right to be a participant is denied.

As we approach Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights — a time when we are reminded that even a small light can dispel much darkness — it is disheartening that at the Western Wall, darkness persists, and no light can break through, not even through a small crack.

Every year, the Kotel rabbi places the central menorah in the men’s section, effectively excluding women from the ceremony and, of course, from any active participation. This could easily be remedied if the menorah were placed in the public plaza, accessible to all, regardless of gender.

This decision is no accident. It reflects the worldview and agenda of the Kotel rabbi, one that seeks to silence and marginalize women, excluding them from leadership roles in Jewish religious life.

This agenda is evident in official state ceremonies at the Western Wall as well. For example, during the Memorial Day ceremony for Israel’s fallen soldiers, the voices of women — mothers, daughters, wives, grandmothers — are absent. While they stand in the background, their voices are not heard, and their contributions to the national memory are sidelined.

This segregated, misogynistic approach has been consistent throughout Rabbi Rabinovitch’s tenure, now spanning 30 years. Every month, Women of the Wall — those of us who seek to pray at this sacred site according to our tradition, including reading from the Torah — are subjected to severe harassment, with the rabbi deliberately turning a blind eye.

What does this violence look like, and how is it normalized? It is simply ignored when the perpetrators align with certain religious views.

In recent years, our prayer books have been torn up, we have had coffee cups and water bottles thrown at us, been spat on, surrounded by hostile crowds, cursed at, and even shoved to the ground. Some of our elderly members have been physically assaulted.

And yet, none of these perpetrators have been arrested, even though there is a strong security presence at the Kotel.

This indifference to violence against women, especially for religious reasons, is fueled by the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Chief Rabbis, and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel.

But with Hanukkah approaching, there is a glimmer of hope. Perhaps this year, the central menorah at the Western Wall will be moved to a place where all people, including women, can participate. Perhaps it is time to align the practices at the Western Wall with the values of equality and inclusion in the 21st century.

In the original Hanukkah story, a small flask of oil miraculously burned for eight days, symbolizing hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. This miracle is especially meaningful to anyone who has experienced loss, yet found the strength to hold on to what remains.

It is time for Rabbi Rabinovitch to allow women like Einav to light a candle at the Wall. The time has come to open our hearts to every Jew, regardless of gender or religious affiliation.