WE HAVE LOST OUR VOICE

At last month's Jewish Agency Board meetings, the Unity of the Jewish People Committee, on which many of us serve, called upon JA leadership to express our People's grave concern with assaults on Jews, and, in particular, Jewish women, at the Western Wall.  Natan Sharansky immediately stepped forward on our collective behalf, writing the Government; the Government's response follows:

Translation

"Mr. Natan Sharansky, Chairman of the Executive

The Jewish Agency for Israel

48 King George Street

Jerusalem 91000

Natan, my friend,

Thank you for your letter regarding prayer arrangements at the Western Wall, and for your continued efforts on the subject amongst Diaspora Jewry.

A balance must be struck between the right of every person to pray as he wishes, and the need to balance that right with the needto avoid harming the prevailing custom held by others who worship at the Western Wall, and we—the Government of Israel and the leaders of the Jewish people—are responsible for finding appropriate and balanced solutions that address everyone’s needs.

It is in light of this worldview that I have, in recent years, actively promoted the expansion of the prayer area in the southern part of the Western Wall, as well as the area’s formal definition and separation from the archaeological park.

I would be glad to join you in further examining the subject in the context of the roundtable that we jointly head."

Our national organization, our JFNA, so desirous of being the spokesman for North American Jewry, in particular on matters such as these: silent.

Rwexler