THE DEFINITIVE RAP: "Chained" The Agunah Crisis Interview with Keshet Starr, ORA

The Definitive Rap was established to unapologetically bring the truth to the forefront – to the surface. Whether it’s about politicsor human interest, The Definitive Rap reports the bitter truth with zero sugar-coating. Our topic today is Get Refusal. What does that mean? A Get is a dated and witnessed document written in Aramaic where the husband states that he is divorcing his wife and severing all ties with her. This document is then placed in her hands. In order for a woman to remarry, or just move on with her life, this document is critical. A woman cannot remarry without a Get. If her husband refuses to grant her the Get shebecomes an Agunah, a 'chained woman,' because she is stuck in limbo, and cannot move forward in life. Civil courts in the United States are recognizing that refusing to give a divorce is abuse. But, thank G-d there is an organization that addresses the Agunah crisis. That organization is called ORA. With us today to talk about this worldwide crisis and what ORA does is Keshet Starr, Esq. She is the CEO of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA), the nonprofit organization addressing the Agunah (Jewishdivorce refusal) crisis on a case-by-case basis worldwide.  At ORA, Keshet oversees advocacy and early intervention initiativesdesigned to assist individuals seeking a Jewish divorce, along withprevention initiatives to eliminate abuse from the Jewish divorce process. Keshet has written for various outlets, and frequently presents on issues related to Jewish divorce, domestic abuse,and the intersection between civil and religious divorce processes.   Keshet helped our audience understand the plight of someone who wants out of a marriage, and whose spouse is refusing to let them go, and what ORA does to rectify this crisis with regard to methods, and she explained the point duringthe separation period of a marriage as to when an individual is considered a Get Refuser, and when ORA steps in.  Keshet eloquently described the typical charming profile of a Get Refuser, and how no one will admit to being a Get Refuser. They will state various lines to tug at the heartstrings in an attempt to come across as the victim in explaining why they are not giving the Get.  Keshet warned that Get Refusers are abusers, and it continues when they get into future relationships and marriages, along with recognizing the red flags in a dating relationship, and that, in her opinion, it is not safe to date a person who had previously withheld a Get from his wife.  Keshet stated that although there are men who are considered Aguns, the statistics are dramatically higher for a woman to be an Agunah.   This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate