The Women of the Wall will not hold a a female priestly blessing ceremony service at the Western Wall, Anat Hoffman, the director of the group, told Army radio on Sunday.
A mass Birkat Kohanim ceremony has taken place twice a year at the Western Wall since 1970 during the intermediate days of Passover and Succot, in which men of the priestly caste raise their hands and bless the tens of thousands of Jews who gather for the event.
Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit prohibited the Women of the Wall from staging the "birkat kohanot" ceremony at the Western Wall during Passover.
"We believe the decision of the high court is wrong but we follow the law," said Hoffman to Army radio. "But we will still of course hold a celebratory prayer service in honor of the holiday."
The proposed "birkat kohanot" ceremony had incensed even further the haredi (ultra-Orthodox) world, already smarting from several recent legal defeats regarding religious life in the country, as well as the government agreement to establish a state-recognized egalitarian prayer section at the southern end of the Western Wall.
"We were told we are forbidden from raising our hands up to heaven and we are forbidden from blessing the nation," said Hoffman. "It will be permissible for thousands of men to raise their hands to the heavens and bless the people but for women? Eh."
Hoffman expressed hope that in the future the proposed ceremony would be permitted.
"We do a lot of things now that were once not considered to be acceptable," she explained. "It was once considered strange to wear a talit (prayer shawl) and today that is not so far fetched."
"The ultra-Orthodox are extremists and the holiest place has been put in their hands," said Hoffman. "The government needs to work to ensure that the Western Wall is open to all minorities and work towards completing the new prayer section that has already been approved by the cabinet," she added.
