Page 6 - Ulpan-Or: E-Tone 02-09-16, Advanced Level

E-Tone™: Ulpan-Or Weekly News Digest

Item #1 (Advanced Level)

History at the Wailing Wall

The Women of the Wall arrived there today for a victory picture. After
twenty seven years of their struggle to pray in the women’s section
wrapped in tallit and with a Torah book, the government decided today to
give them a plaza of their own. One can see a historic move here. For the
first time, the official state of Israel acknowledges non-orthodox sects, and
in a government that relies on the ultra-orthodox still. This project will
cost thirty five million NIS, (and) at the end of it three plazas will stand
side by side - men’s section, women’s section and mixed. It didn’t get in
the way of the ultra-orthodox from creating a last minute mini-crisis today.
They voted against (the bill), and so did Ministers Ze’ev Elkin and Uri
Ariel, but no one has the intention of unraveling the coalition. The road to
implementation is long still, construction is complicated, you have to
preserve the archeology, and where will the women pray in the meantime?
At the existing women’s section, where they were asked not to bring a
Torah book in - a request they intend to ignore. They’ve waited twenty
seven years, it isn’t certain that they’re willing to wait another year (or)
two.

Page 6 - Edition 02-09-16

Copyrighted and owned by Ulpan-Or. Any usage, copying and distribution without express permission from Ulpan-Or is prohibited.