The municipality decided to
name a street “HaBetula meLudmir”, or in English, “The Virgin from Ludmir.” As you can imagine, using the word “Virgin”
in a Jerusalem street name might upset some sensitive religious
sensibilities. But before you decide
that the Jerusalem Municipality is trying to upset its Hareidi citizens, here
is a little background.
The Virgin of Ludmir was the
name given to Chana Rachel Webermacher (1805-1888), born in the town of Ludmir,
Volhynia (now the Ukraine). Webermacher
was an unusual person. At one point in her life she decided to take on many of
the ritual practices usually reserved for men, such as wearing Talit and
T’fillin (possibly even wearing 2 pairs of T’fillin). Due to community pressure in Ludmir, she got
married and quickly divorced. Webermacher gained the reputation as a holy woman, and
in 1860, she made Aliyah and moved to Jerusalem.
But what made her most
unusual, is that it appears that Webermacher actually held court in her MeahIn short, the first Hassidic feminist.
She died in 1888, and was buried on the Mount of Olives.
Shearim home, with her own Hassidim, receiving her followers, handing out
blessings and presiding over a regular Shabbos Tish, just like any other
Hassidic Admor. It’s also known that Webermacher
studied Kababla, taught Torah to women, and prayed with women at the Kotel and
at Rachel’s Tomb.
In order to relieve Hareidi
displeasure at having the word “Virgin” in the street name, the committee
decided to change the name of the street to “The Virgin of Ludmir – Chana
Rachel Webermacher”. The Hareidi
representatives deemed that a respectable compromise. What is not yet known is
which Jerusalem neighborhood will welcome the Virgin.
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