This is the space where the Masorti Movement provides Torah scrolls and prayer resources for Jews of all backgrounds. On any given day, it welcomes Israeli families, Masorti/Conservative, Reform, and Modern Orthodox groups, and, most poignantly, Jews who have traveled from across the globe to celebrate a bar or bat mitzvah at the foot of the Kotel. 

 For seven years, these families have arrived with joy, only to be met with confusion and disappointment. And we at Masorti? We are heartbroken. We are frustrated. We are pained that the State of Israel continues to disregard the deep spiritual needs of Jews whose Jewish identity doesn’t fit within Haredi definitions. 

 Unlike the Orthodox plaza, which benefits from generous state funding and maintenance, the Egalitarian Kotel still resembles a construction zone. These have been seven lean years. But we refuse to let that be the end of the story. 

 We envision a different future: one where this sacred space is vibrant and welcoming, where multitudes gather close to the ancient stones, where children joyfully slip kvitlach (prayer notes) into the crevices, and where all Jews, regardless of affiliation, feel the full embrace of Jewish tradition and the Jewish state. 

 We are working toward that future: in the Knesset, in the courts, with the Israel Antiquities Authority, and every relevant authority. And until that day comes—may it be soon—we will continue to do what we do best: offer a Judaism that is inclusive, accessible, and deeply rooted in tradition. A Judaism that connects and uplifts the entire Jewish people, in Israel and around the world.