One of the greatest challenges to the authority of the Chief Rabbinate has been "The Women of the Wall". After the Six day War, the Israeli government handed over authority at the Kotel to the Rabbinate. Ever since, there has been an official, government approved and salaried rabbi in charge of maintaining Jewish law and tradition at the Kotel; Judaism's holiest place (after the Temple Mount itself). In 1988, a group of Jewish Feminists, challenge this by holding a women's service at the Wall. replete with Tallit, Tefillin, and a Torah reading. The women are mostly from English speaking countries, especially the U.S.. They run the gamut of "denominations", although they are often popularly referred to as "the Reform Women". The fact is, that all of these actions can be halachically justified. But they run so much against thousands of years of tradition, that even many non religious Israelis are made uncomfortable. A 2013 poll, found that they are supported by 51.5% of Israeli men, but only by 46% of women. Many Israelis consider these actions "an American import".The fact remains that it is technically illegal, as the rabbi of the Kotel has declared it forbidden. The courts have gone back and forth on the issue, I suspect that part of the problem is that Americans are used to the idea that a rabbi is their employee, and maintains his position by the will of the congregation, whereas in Israel, as well as most other countries, the rabbis (and other clergies) are government agents, fully in charge of the religious life of their congregations. In Morocco, rabbis are, even today, authorized to use capital punishment against rebellious community members, although I have never heard of this right being exercised. The Women of the Wall conduct the services every Rosh Hodesh (New Moon). Far from being silent, the services are conducted in a loud voice, replete with much singing. This is clearly a provocation as much as it is worship. Their actions often incite violence (chairs being thrown and the like), and arrests are common on both sides. Is this analogous to the early days of the American Civil Rights movement, with African Americans defiantly sitting in at segregated lunch counters, with the goal of breaking a corrupt system? Or is it an assault on rabbinic authority in general, aimed at "bringing down" the Chief Rabbinate, resulting in the chaos we see in the American rabbinate? Neither side seems willing to budge. Sadly, compromise is not part of the Israeli lexicon.
Besides the Women of the Wall, many secular Israelis are choosing to simply avoid the rabbinate, either entering into "Civil Unions", with the aid of a lawyer, or else going to Cyprus (a twenty-minute flight), in order to have a civil ceremony. There are travel agencies that will plan the whole thing for the couple seeking to avoid the rabbis.
Next time, I will deal with a revolt within the ranks of the rabbinate, often involving the secular courts as well.
