By Shmiel Soiferman
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Who says social media is bad?
Social media and the rallies that social media have brought about – have accomplished the near impossible – pressuring recalcitrant husbands into giving a get.
The case in point, Elizabeth K., a woman living in Brooklyn, who has been waiting four years to receive her get, got it earlier tonight. Instagram was particularly effective in this get – because there is a newly empowered group of Influencers on Instagram that arranged an impromptu rally.
The rally was held this morning at one venue and went to another.
“People came out of the woodworks,” remarked Avi David, who observed the rally.“The rally was actually planned, but many other women showed up because it went viral on Instagram and everyone’s Facebook page,” he continued.
Today at the #FreeElizabeth rally on Ocean Avenue I spoke how we must help these women & how we can LEVEL UP our legal/legislative approach in a manner that doesn’t conflict with our religious beliefs. There are REAL options and I will discuss them more in detail on social soon. pic.twitter.com/J95mKYCGyL
— Amber Adler (@AmberAdlerNYC) March 11, 2021
https://twitter.com/brachashap/status/1370185847287463942
There is evidence as well that the rally proved effective. Rabbi David Ozeri, one of the leading Rabbonim in the Syrian community appeared at the event and asked the women to stop the rally, explaining that in fact he will be meeting with the husband at 3 PM to try to obtain a Get. The women asked him what their recourse will be if the Get is not given. Rabbi Ozeri answered that in that in case he will come back the following day and lead the protest.
Sure enough, a Kosher Get was facilitated several hours later by rabbi Ozeri at the home of of Mr. Harry Adjmi, one of the pillars of the Sephardic community in Flatbush.
— Bracha Kahane (@brachashap) March 11, 2021
There is growing social media pressure on other cases as well: Yechiel Friedman is a case in point. Yechiel Friedman has been legally divorced for close to eighteen years. The actual Seruv was only issued in 2013 – by the Beis Din of America. David Nahmmany has an active social campaign going on now and is listed on Ora, a leading advocacy organization dedicated to relieveing the plight of Agunos. There are two more cases that are found on Ora’s website, www.Getora.org that deserve greater recognition.
- David Nachmani and his wife have had a legal divorce since 2007. There is a siruv against him from Beis Din of America. His wife has been an Agunah for 13 and ½ years.
- Moshe Stern has been separated from his wife Patricia since 1995 – that’s 26 years. Patricia lives in Israel. Moshe Stern moves around all over the place. His last known location, however, was in Boro Park. The Psak against Moshe Stern was from the Rabbanut of Eretz Yisroel, signed by Rabbi Ezra Batzri and Rabbi Benyamin Levy and Rabbi Masoud El-Chadad.
The following links contain the biographical details of these three – with the link to the seruv.
https://www.getora.org/yechiel-friedman
https://www.getora.org/david-nahmmany
https://www.getora.org/moshe-stern
“These rallies worked. There are organizations and Rabbis that have worked for years and the Get has not come through. This Get came about by frum women on Instagram who have created a movement that has inspired the women you are seeing at these rallies,” says Yechiel Y.
This person is clearly referring to Ora.
Others, however, have the opposite complaint. They complain about Ora’s tactics saying that they violate halacha. A comment on a rival website expresses this very thought.
Ora, however, follows the advice of leading and nationally recognized Poskim.
“There is a debate among the Poskim regarding the parameters of what defines an improper get me’usa. Ora only publicizes the seruvim issued by the Beis Din and with their authorization to publicize it,” explains Rabbi Yonatan Klayman, Director of Advocacy for Ora.
“It also makes a big difference if we are contacted early on. Ora works closely with the Batei Dinim, the Agunah and their legal representatives to make sure that everyone is on board with the process. The Beis Din generally authorizes publicizing a seruv when, in their view, it would be impossible to obtain otherwise. That’s why pressure implanted thoughtfully,” remarks Keshet Star, CEO of Ora.
There is, of course, a downside sometimes to social media campaigns in that it can also backfire. How so? At times, a husband is almost in agreement to give a get and states that he will do so if his name is taken off certain websites and facebook pages. When something goes viral, however, this cannot happen. Therefore, it is extremely important to be in touch with the people that are working to obtain that get.
As this is a developing phenomenon, stay tuned for more rallies, and, hopefully, more Agunos set free. Oh, and Mazel Tov Elizabeth!
You can reach the writer at [email protected]
There are often two sides to a story. If the wife is using the kids as any weapon at all and refusing visitation rights, then the only weapon the man has is the get and rightfully so . To anyone who says otherwise, I dare you to be told you can’t have your son this shabbos . You imagine not being able to put your child in your shoulders when you sing shalom alechim or to bentch him Friday night . It’s like chopping your arm off and saying live with it. I see a new phenomenon where moms blame covid on vistation rights. Some chutzpah to abuse a tzara like that .
You also can’t fall for the bies din ruse. A bies din is all about money and fame. These guys make a killing and will do what it takes. They charge retainer fees and hundreds of dollars per hour. It’s a dirty business. For Agee more dollars they will write a seruv too .
To be clear this is not always the case. At times the father is just an idiot and wants do make his ex suffer. But I speak generally and say there are often two sides and the get refusal is warranted.
amber adler is a predator of parental alienation. why are you enabling her by posting her videos?
she was never an aguna.
and now for 8 years she has deprived her children of a father! child abuse
unfortunately there are some real creeps who use the halacha to ‘punish’ their wives or squeeze money out of them.
Shame on them, they should be shamed in pubic….
The community should 100% be fully focused on how to improve the agunah situation. THAT SAID, I happen to be familiar with this particular case – without getting into details, there’s more to this story than the public is aware of.
why are we SO machmir on “we cant pressure for a get”?????
Its like the biggest chumra. Ive heard it so many times through the years I was working on getting a get
This is all @daliaoziel
Thank you!
Why do we protect the identity of these rishoim? Only by public shaming will they be pressured into doing the right thing.
I would understand if the wife stole alot money or had done something horrible to this guy. But if this isn’t the case then what does the guy want.
Very fine people on both sides …
And yes, social media pressure is [IN THAT AUTHOR’S OPINION] a get me’usa [BUT NOT IN THE OPINION OF THE BATEI DINIM THAT AUTHORIZE IT].
I once told this to Pesach Krohn who rallies for them. He remains angry with me.
I have a question for men who claim that family court is unfair to men :Why do you stay in such a terrible state , country , etc? Jews throughout the ages have wandered about seeking refuge from hostile governments . Surely you can find a safe haven from feminism in Pakistan , Saudi Arabia , etc . , and set up a Jewish community there . Can it be that you don’t really believe that the system is so unfair to you ?
oy