TORAH LIFTED UP DURING PRAYER SERVICE BY REFORM AND CONSERVATIVES JEWS NEAR WAILING WALL, 1999-02-01...

Anat Hoffman, a member of the Jerusalem city council, holds up her hand (C) as the Torah is lifted during a prayer service held by some 33 American Rabbis from the Reform and Conservative movements in a fenced-off area on the plaza at the Wailing Wall, seen right with the Dome of the Rock dome, behind. At left is Rabbi Deborah Hirsch from Manhattan, New York. Israeli police had to keep some 100 ultra-orthodox Hassidic Jews from attacking the American rabbis as they and hurled insults at the group, including shouts of "Nazi." 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