Plight of the chained

FOR 57 years, Doreen Beckwith has been an agunah. Refused a get (religious divorce) by her first husband, she was not only unable to remarry in an orthodox synagogue but she also decided she couldn’t have children with her second husband as they would be considered ‘mamzerim’ (illegitimate in halachic law).

“It was horrific,” the Melbourne author of Full Circle: The Story of a Chained Woman told The AJN. “He [her second husband] would have loved children of his own. It was very difficult indeed, in a lot of ways.”

Next Wednesday, the Fast of Esther, is International Agunah Day, aimed at promoting awareness of those women who, like Doreen, are bound to spouses who refuse them a get. It’s an issue that will be addressed at a number of synagogues in Australia this Shabbat.

Each year, the Sydney and Melbourne beth dins tackle about six cases of agunot. In 80 per cent of the cases a resolution is found. “We really do go out of our way to accommodate the partners,” said Rabbi David Rogut, of the Sydney Beth Din. “We have attended to many a cases that seem insurmountable at first, but with expert advice from people all around the world, we bring resolution to our cases.”

One measure that can help, and that has been endorsed by the Rabbinic Council of Victoria (RCV), is a prenuptial agreement, obligating both parties to attend a beth din and follow its directives in the event of a divorce. But the recalcitrant party may not comply.

“Refusing her a get is the final manipulation and abuse of his spouse,” said Sheiny New, spokeswoman of the Jewish Taskforce Against Family Violence.

Among those who will be tackling the topic from their pulpit this Shabbat is RCV president Rabbi Yaakov Glasman, of St Kilda Hebrew Congregation. “I will be focusing on the plight of women and men who want nothing more than to move on in life and find new love, but are prevented from doing so because of the wrongdoing of their spouses,” he said.

Also speaking on the topic will be National Council of Jewish Women of Australia (NCJWA) Victoria president Vivien Brass, who will address the congregation at the Temple Beth Immanuel. Urging rabbis to find a solution acceptable to Jewish law, she said: “Even if only one woman is helped by our efforts in bringing this issue to the community we feel it is important.”

Rabbi Mendel Kastel, CEO of Jewish House in Sydney, works closely with agunot. Despite the problems faced, he said a positive outcome would be achieved in the overwhelming majority of cases. “It’s been difficult and there are difficult parties stopping it,” he said. “In many cases, there are ways to resolve it, hopefully in all of them, we can find a resolution to move forward.”

Doreen Beckwith feels more must be done. “It never turned me against the Jewish religion,” she said. “It just made it extremely sad that these things should happen and that they have never been altered. I do believe something could be done but it doesn’t seem likely.”

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