Jewish women wear prayer shawls as they pray during the Jewish holiday of Passover in front of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, April 24, 2016. A liberal women's group has held a special Passover prayer service at a Jerusalem holy site, drawing criticism from the site's ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who called it a "provocation." (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Jewish women wear prayer shawls as they pray during the Jewish holiday of Passover in front of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem’s Old City, Sunday, April 24, 2016. A liberal women’s group has held a special Passover prayer service at a Jerusalem holy site, drawing criticism from the site’s ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who called it a “provocation.” (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

 

Jerusalem – A liberal women’s group held a special Passover prayer service on Sunday at a Jerusalem holy site, drawing criticism from the site’s ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who called it a “provocation.”

The group, Women of the Wall, calls for gender equality at the Western Wall, the holiest Jewish prayer site. The site is overseen by a rabbi who enforces conservative customs, including separate prayers for men and women.

The group planned to hold an all-female “priestly blessing,” a prayer typically done by men, but Israel’s attorney general banned it from doing so. The Justice Ministry said a women-led priestly blessing has never been held at the Western Wall.

In a compromise, dozens of women prayed Sunday, but a group leader said they did not perform the priestly blessing. Some Orthodox Jews protested.

A Jewish woman wears a prayer shawl as she prays during the Jewish holiday of Passover in front of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City, Sunday, April 24, 2016. The liberal women's group has held a special Passover prayer service at a Jerusalem holy site, drawing criticism from the site's ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who called it a "provocation."(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
A Jewish woman wears a prayer shawl as she prays during the Jewish holiday of Passover in front of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem’s Old City, Sunday, April 24, 2016. The liberal women’s group has held a special Passover prayer service at a Jerusalem holy site, drawing criticism from the site’s ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who called it a “provocation.”(AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth yell at a journalist covering the Jewish women's prayer during the Jewish holiday of Passover in front of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem's Old City, April 24, 2016. A liberal women's group has held a special Passover prayer service at a Jerusalem holy site, drawing criticism from the site's ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who called it a "provocation." (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish youth yell at a journalist covering the Jewish women’s prayer during the Jewish holiday of Passover in front of the Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, in Jerusalem’s Old City, April 24, 2016. A liberal women’s group has held a special Passover prayer service at a Jerusalem holy site, drawing criticism from the site’s ultra-Orthodox rabbi, who called it a “provocation.” (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

 

As reported by Vos Iz Neias