MEMBER OF JERUSALEM COUNCIL JOINS US RABBIS AT WAILING WALL, 1999-02-01 (photo)

Anat Hoffman, a member of the Jerusalem city council, holds the Torah as she joins two male Rabbis from the United States during a prayer service in a fenced-off area on the plaza near the Wailing Wall February 1. Israeli police set up a ring around some 33 U.S Rabbis from the reform and Conservative movements to protect them from some 100 ultra-orthodox Hassidic Jews who continuously heckled and hurled insults at them. The US Rabbis said they intend to make Israeli political candidates endorse religious pluralism in order to receive much needed funding from abroard for the general election to be held in May. JWH/FMS