The Rabbinical Council of America Calls for Calm at the Kotel

The Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), the leading organization of Orthodox rabbis in North America, calls upon all who cherish the Western Wall to maintain its sanctity and the respect that is its due. Even when there is deep disagreement based on religious principles and traditions, there is no justification for invective, threats, provocation, and the hurling of objects attacking those with whom we differ. The RCA affirms that such unacceptable actions misrepresent the values and practices of Jewish life, and the character of the overwhelming majority of those who gather at the Kotel to pray and demonstrate their love for Judaism’s most holy site.

We call upon the media to accurately report the behavior of the vast majority of those who come to pray, and avoid misrepresenting the actions of a small minority as typical of an entire population.

In anticipation of the upcoming Rosh Chodesh Tammuz on June 8 and 9, 2013, the RCA calls for the proper decorum and dignity which the holiness and sanctity of the place deserve, and we pray that the peaceful ways of our holy Torah will prevail.