Historic letter against Kotel division

In light of the decision by the government to create a new egalitarian prayer space for Reform and Conservative Jews at the Western Wall (Kotel), a letter from the 1970s on the topic by the leading rabbis of the previous generation was published on Thursday evening.

 

The new prayer space adds to a previous non-Orthodox space built in 2013, and has raised the anger of Palestinians who reiterated ahistoric claims to the site. On Monday Dr. Eilat Mazar of Hebrew University’s archaeology institute warned Arutz Sheva that the new prayer space ramp will cover the last remaining site testifying to the destruction of the Second Temple.

 

In context of the controversial move, the letter sent by leading rabbis to then Prime Minister Golda Meir in the early 1970s was published, showing how they fiercely opposed the division of the Kotel into separate prayer spaces.

 

Read More: Historic letter against Kotel division – Inside Israel – News – Arutz Sheva