Ten women detained in Israel for wearing prayer shawls at Jerusalem's Western Wall

Among them is comedian Sarah Silverman's sister

Published February 11, 2013 2:01PM (EST)

Reuters is reporting that ten women, including the sister of comedian Sarah Silverman, have been detained at Jerusalem's Western Wall for wearing prayer shawls.

Under Orthodox law, which is observed at the Western Wall and upheld by law, women's public prayer rights are limited--including the ability to wear prayer shawls. According to a spokesperson for the site, wearing a prayer shawl is a right reserved specifically for men.

Susan Silverman told Reuters that "They (police) said 'take off your prayer shawls', and we said 'no'." She criticized the law, comparing it to "spitting on Sinai."  Irrespective of gender, "all Jews are in a covenant with God," she said.


By Prachi Gupta

Prachi Gupta is an Assistant News Editor for Salon, focusing on pop culture. Follow her on Twitter at @prachigu or email her at pgupta@salon.com.

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Israel Jerusalem Judaism Orthodoxy Religion Sarah Silverman Women