ULTRA ORTHODOX JEWS SEPARATED BY POLICE FROM CONSERVATIVE JEWS JERUSALEMS WAILING WALL, 1998-05-31 (photo)

Israeli Border Police and municipal police form a human barrier as ultra-orthodox Jews (L) confront a group of some 300 Jews from the Conservative Jewish movement ealry May 31 as the hold prayers marking Shavuot. Some 300 members from the Conservative Jewish movement held Shavuot prayers on the plaza and were confronted by hundreds of ultra-orthodox Jews who reject both the conservative and reform practice of Judaism. Tens of thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews packed the Wailing Wall and the plaza as they held dawn prayers marking the Jewish festival of Shavuot commemorating the giving of the Torah (Jewish Bible) to the Israelites at Sinai and the Conservatives, who formed a small group, and prayed far off to one side in the plaza. JWH/AA