What the Women of the Wall Want

Simply put, our goal is to obtain the freedom to pray and to do everything that is halachically permitted for women on the women’s side of the mechitza. This includes reciting prayers together that do not require a minyan, and, yes, most of all, it includes reading from the Torah. (Though it has been many years since we have been able to read from the Torah in the women’s section at the Wall.) At a minimum, we want to be allowed to pray at the Wall for one hour each month, free of injury and fear. This should not be a provocative request.

via What the Women of the Wall Want – Forward.com.

It is sad commentary on the state of Judaism that divergent practices fully-supported by Halakha, that do not affect people’s freedom of worship nor the unity of the Jewish people bring up such vitriol, as seen in the comments.

Surely innovations such as changes in wedding and divorce ritual, conversion, testimony, and such items do affect the unity of the Jewish people.  However, a woman who puts on a tallit is, at worst, following a minority opinion.