Breaking the Cycle

Posted on The Agunah Monologues by · May 06, 2026 2:37 AM

The short version of my story is this: I married a raging grandiose narcissist. The relationship was toxic and abusive, caused me to lose a lot of myself, and he will never let me go.

But still, I went.

I struggled to obtain my freedom and be considered single again by Jewish Law… It was a long, long journey, and I explored all the avenues available to me. Baruch Hashem, I finally got my p’tur from the International Beit Din.

The following details the different efforts I made to receive my Get.

Finding Freedom Through Kiddushei Ta’ut

Posted on The Agunah Monologues by · June 08, 2025 5:12 AM

This story is shared in the Agunah’s own words and reflects her personal experiences. The views expressed do not necessarily represent the opinions or positions of Get Jewish Divorce Justice.

The Decision to Leave

Two and a half years ago, I made the life-changing decision to separate from my former spouse. I took my three children and began divorce proceedings in civil court. At first, I was hesitant to bring up the Get, fearing that it would give my ex-husband leverage in an already acrimonious situation. I didn’t want him to know how much I wanted it, worried he’d use it against me.

Eventually, I did bring up the Get, but my ex-husband refused outright. “I will never give you a Get,” he said. Feeling trapped, I reached out to the Rabbinical Council of California (RCC) to open a case for a Get. Their response was disheartening: they wouldn’t get involved unless both parties were in agreement or until the civil divorce was finalized.

Donate

Posted by · December 09, 2019 10:45 PM

Posted by · August 27, 2015 10:22 AM

Get Jewish Divorce is the only West-Coast based organization that resolves cases of Agunot, through advocacy in rabbinic courts, civil courts, and individual counseling to agunot and their families. We educate attorneys on how to write stipulations and use secular legal concepts such as coercive control, fraudulent deceit, and torts, to deter get refusal.

Contact us for more info about getting a get or Jewish Prenup

What We Do

Prevention

We provide prospective brides and grooms with Jewish prenuptial agreements to prevent get refusal. We advise attorneys on the formulation of provisions in divorce stipulations that can be enforced to deter get refusal.

Education

We conduct seminars for lawyers, judges, and agunah activists on using secular legal categories to describe and deter get refusal without violating the separation of church and state. We also conduct halachic prenup workshops for college students (UCLA).

Agunah Support

We serve as a liaison between the agunah, the beth din, and attorneys. We also provide referrals to communal resources for jobs, housing, financial loans, subsidized therapy, and legal representation with an experienced social worker. Where appropriate we mobilize rabbinic and communal pressure on Get refusers to give the get.

Advocacy for Systemic Change

We promote impact litigation to deter get refusal in civil courts by counseling attorneys on the use of secular legal categories to deter get refusal, such as coercive control claims in family court and tort claims in civil court. We also promote rabbinic court procedures that bifurcate the issue of the get from custodial and financial issues.

Tehillim Campaign

We galvanize grassroots public awareness and support by reciting Tehillim (psalms) in schools, shuls, and women's Tehillim groups for every agunah (or agun) who, after consultation, provides their Hebrew name to us. To submit a name, email us at [email protected]

Pages tagged "agunah"