To Pray in a Tallit. In Solidarity with Women of the Wall

Part of a solidarity blog series for Women of the Wall.  Each piece is written by a member of the Rosh Hodesh group of Congregation B'nai Israel.


Wrapped in the 'arms' of God
Embraced in love and intimacy ...
Easing into the secure comfort
I am free to pray with all my heart ...

God's voice pours out of me
as I feel the Breath fill my body ...
Sometimes there are tears of joy or sadness
But always there is a feeling of 'coming home.'

One of the most powerful times of prayer was in the beautiful space of a chapel at a Christian Retreat Center.  This was clearly a sacred place.  God was in this place and, yes, I did know it.  Freedom to be who I am, a Jewish woman of faith ... welcoming sisters.

How ironic that Jewish women do not have that freedom to pray so safely in 'our homeland', at one of the most sacred sites of the Jewish people.  How sad to realize that 'my people' would not honor my right to pray, abuse me and treat me as less than human.  Maybe they are not 'my people'.  Does God listen to and answer their prayers?