Rabbinic courts and agunot - The Jewish Standard

For someone who is an agunah, life can be very difficult. However, I am disappointed in your choice to publish “Survey seeks to paint a fuller portrait of ‘chained wives'” (Aug. 13) that contained severe condemnations of rabbinic courts without giving them the opportunity to respond. Had I or any of my colleagues been afforded a response we would have noted the success of the Rabbinical Council of America’s Prenuptial Agreement and the Orthodox Union’s Synagogue Sanctions Against Recalcitrant Spouses. We would have noted the countless hours of pro bono work invested by rabbinic judges to help “chained wives” to the extent of even putting our lives on hold and even at risk to help such women.

I look forward to future reporting about rabbinic courts that is professional and balanced. Your readers and those of us who take the agunah problem very seriously and do whatever we we can to help agunot deserve better.

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