Women Praying at Judaism’s Holiest Site Tell of Attacks

Ultra-Orthodox women punched and bit members of a progressive women’s prayer group at Jerusalem’s Western Wall on Friday, a member of the prayer group said.

She said five women were injured in the assault, the second attack in two days on women’s groups praying at Judaism’s holiest site.

Ultra-Orthodox Jews oppose the women’s prayer groups because they consider the sound of a woman’s singing seductive. They also say they go against the tradition at the wall that men and women must pray separately and individually.

Barbara Wachs, who led the Friday prayers, said at least four ultra-Orthodox women attacked her group of 11, which included women from all streams of Judaism.

“I was pulling her (an attacker) off one of the women, and she turned around and bit me. I yelled, ‘She bit me!’ and she turned around and hit me in the eye,” Wachs said.

The five injured women filed complaints saying policemen had watched the attacks but did nothing to stop them. After the incident, police arrested two of the attackers.