WHAT JOFA IS DOING TO HELP AGUNOT
Advocacy for agunot has been an integral part of JOFA’s mission since the organization’s founding. JOFA sees the agunah issue as a community problem and believes there is a critical need for a systemic, halakhic solution to the plight of agunot. JOFA addresses the issue through education of the Jewish community, grass-roots activism, and advocacy efforts on behalf of agunot.
Educational Programs
Resources
Ad Campaigns Educational Programs
“Agunah Track” at JOFA’s International Conference
JOFA’s 10th Anniversary International Conference in February 2007 included an “Agunah Track” – one time slot during which all of the simultaneous sessions were dedicated to iggun. Participants were treated to presentations by renowned activists and rabbinic figures, and educated in the laws, history, ramifications and potential solutions to iggun. In addition to the “Agunah Track”, a lunch discussion group for conference participants working on agunah related issues exchanged information and discussed possible methods to move the process forward. Click here to view the conference program or here to order tapes from past conferences. Mekudeshet Screenings
Mekudeshet: Sentenced to Marriage offers a glimpse into the painful personal experiences of three young Israeli women. The film chronicles their individual struggles to obtain a Get (a Jewish writ of divorce) from the rabbinical courts with the help of a group of female Orthodox rabbinical court advocates. Through the screening followed by panel discussions of the film, JOFA is promoting programs to educate college students and communities about the agunah problem and urging the use of prenuptial agreements. JOFA has co-sponsored numerous screenings of Mekudeshet at JCC’s, Hillels, the Museum of Jewish Heritage, major synagogues and others. For more information about Mekudeshet screenings, click here. Resources Agunah L'agunah Support Groups
Comprised of former and current agunot, Agunah L’agunah was established to support women who are trapped in dead marriages and unable to obtain a get. Formed to prevent their feelings of abandonment by the community, the group provides current agunot with emotional support and practical guidance from women who understand firsthand the difficult struggle they are experiencing. As the group began, it became clear that not only will the group help current agunot, but it also serves to empower and heal the mentors (former agunot, most of whom received no help from the community when they were seeking gittin from their recalcitrant husbands). Gettlink
Gettlink is an online listserv, spearheaded by JOFA, which promotes the exchange of information about agunah activities worldwide. Gettlink serves 15 organizations in over 47 countries that seek to ease the plight of agunot. This internet connection enables agunah activists to exchange information regarding individual cases and civil legislation in their search for acceptable halakhic solutions in Israel and throughout the Diaspora. For more information on Gettlink, click here. JOFA’s Guide to Jewish Divorce and the Beit Din System
JOFA’s Guide to Jewish Divorce and the Beit Din System helps women make informed decisions as they negotiate the beit din system to obtain a Jewish divorce. The Guide includes a glossary, frequently asked questions and a section based on the comments and cautions of individuals with personal experience, as well as a comparison of the practices of various batei din (rabbinic courts) in the New York metropolitan area. JOFA proposes that this process of comparison of batei din be replicated in cities across the country and would be happy to assist individuals willing to organize groups to administer the questionnaire to batei din in their community. If you would like to organize a group and need assistance, contact us at agunah@jofa.org.
JOFA’s Website
The website, a comprehensive resource that offers reference material on all matters related to feminism and Orthodoxy, includes lists of, and links to, web articles, speeches, audio tapes, books and periodical articles about the agunah issue as well as a prayer for agunot. JOFA’s website also lists organizations to which agunot and their families can turn for more information and assistance. Prenuptial Agreements
A well-written and properly-executed halakhic prenuptial agreement is, many argue, a possible means of ensuring fair and lawful proceedings in the event of a divorce. While a prenuptial agreement can do nothing for current agunot, it can prevent the possibility of future agunot. JOFA works closely with rabbis and organizations in promoting the use of pre-nuptial agreements. Click here for links to Israeli and American prenuptial agreements.
Ad Campaigns Ta'anit Esther is a unique date in the Jewish year. It is the only day that commemorates the power of a single woman to change the course of Jewish history. In March 2007 (on Ta'anit Esther), JOFA placed a 6 page ad in the Jewish Week including a petition to rabbis and the lay community and over 2,000 signatures garnered from 12 countries in less than two weeks. Likewise, in March 2005, JOFA placed a two-page ad with over 1,000 signatures in The Jewish Week and The Jewish Press. We believe that these ads make a difference as they alert and educate thousands of individuals in the Jewish community to the agunah issue and heighten the sensitivity of lay and rabbinic figures in an increased number of communities. The ads also serve as a powerful reminder to the agunot amongst us that they are not alone.
|
