Women of the Wall have demanded a public menorah placed in the women’s section of the Western Wall during Chanuka to allow for public candle lighting. Ana Hoffman, head of the organization, banks on Deputy Attorney General Dina Zilber’s ruling that last year’s prohibition from women participating in the candle lighting ceremony is an “unacceptable discrimination” against women.
Hoffman stated, “In our view, a (second) large menorah should be placed in the women's section so that the women can have a ceremony parallel to the men's, or the main menorah should be placed in the plaza where women can have access to the ceremony with dignity. We emphasize that we do not believe that (the token inclusion of women) makes any difference if the main ceremony is held only with men, without the (full) participation of women.”
Meanwhile last week, three female MKs petitioned Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, Rabbi of the Western Wall, to include women’s participation at the Kotel Chanukah candle lighting ceremony or place a large menorah exclusively for women to light.
Rabbi Rabinowitz has refused the MKs request stating in a letter that only when a pluralist section at the Western Wall is opened, can women be included in a Chanuka lighting ceremony. He continued, “I suspect that the demand to light candles in the women’s section is simply another provocation for the press, which seeks to deteriorate the discussions [on the pluralist section] once again back to the polarized starting positions, instead of finding a solution for the benefit of the entire Jewish people.”