During the summer months, Jews commemorate the destruction of the Temple. According to the Talmud, the Temple was destroyed because of sinnat hinnom, baseless hatred. Last week while in Israel I witnessed the same phenomenon at the same place.
The government of Israel reneged on an agreement to allow egalitarian prayer at a specially designated place adjacent to the Western Wall, a remnant of the ancient Temple. This was opposed by the right-wing Orthodox parties in a country where the parliamentary system gives them outsized influence. The wall has been the site of some ugly scenes over the last few years, including the forcible removal of women who wear tallit and tefillin (religious garb traditionally associated with men) or who carry a Torah themselves. Editorialists and activists have fulminated, and the push for a compromise was largely a product of such outrages. Yet, the reaction to such scenes was less widespread than one might suppose. Although the vast majority of Israelis are not themselves religiously observant, there is a perception that much of the agitation for religious equality comes from outside the country — specifically, from American Jews.
Read Full Article »