I read with interest the adventure and/or misadventure of Anat Hoffman at the Kotel (“Back To The Wall, But Still Fighting,” Dec. 7).
This letter is not meant to go into detail of the halachic issues of a women’s prayer group or my personal opinion of such groups; rather, it concerns following the rules. Rules for prayer near the Kotel are quite clear. There is a mechitzah (i.e. separation between men and women). Hoffman may not like the rules but these are the rules and what better way to serve a role model for the younger generation than to follow the rules and be proactive in the confines of the rules?
I am sure there are ways to express support for Israel, both the country and the people, without spitting in the face of the rules at the Kotel. To make matters worse, Hoffman’s arrest takes away people’s focus as to what should be done at the Kotel, which is to pray to God for the health and welfare for the State of Israel and for Jews at large.
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