A few weeks ago, Women of the Wall announced that they would be undertaking a new project: to hold a Birkat Kohanot observance on the women's side of the Kotel, on Shachareit over Chol HaMoed Pesach. Little details are being given as to the actual logistics, such as if the blessing will be performed only by those of Bat Kohen status, but already it seems to be causing a stir among the usual suspects.
As a tradition that isn't usually practiced outside of the land of Israel, save for specific days and in more traditional synagogues, I'm not certain that I've ever known it to happen that a Bat Kohen has performed this in, say, a Masorti Synagogue in Israel, or in a Conservative Synagogue here in the US. While I understand the halakhic interpretation that WoW and other egalitarian groups follow in order to wrap tefillin, read from Torah, and practice other observances, I can't think of anything similar for the offering of the priestly blessing.
From my perspective, of admittedly little knowledge, this seems to be a wholly new thing, but I could be wrong. I admit, though, I'm a bit uneasy with it, if for no other reason than the word "Kohanot" and its singular, "Kohenet" already has a usage that could be troubling to WoW.
Rabbi Jill Hammer, graduate of JTS, has already claimed the word for use in her Kohenet Institute. This organization is, to my eyes at least, a vaguely neo-pagan, "earth based" version of feminist ideology mashed-up with Judaism. It is as Jewish as the Kabbalah Center is actually about Kabbalah. While the two organizations aren't linked, WoW's detractors might think it is, and frankly, adopting this brand new observance doesn't help with WoW's assertion of legitimacy.
These two organizations might be unconnected, but I wonder if this may be a case of good intentions with poor marketing on the part of WoW.
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