ORA NEWS
ORA
RESOLVES 160TH AGUNAH CASE
August 10th, 2011 / 10 Menachem-Av 5771
We are very excited to announce the resolution of our 160th
agunah case!
This milestone in our history demonstrates the success of our sensitive
approach to agunah resolution which combines amicable
facilitation with relentless advocacy. This summer we resolved nine
cases in the span of just six weeks! The public's continued support of
ORA has enabled us to expand our operations significantly and resolve
more cases in the past three years than we resolved in our first six
years combined.
Click here to
read more...
ORA REACHES MILESTONE OF 150 RESOLVED CASES
March 17, 2011
Ta'anit Esther 5771
We are very excited to announce the resolution of our 150th
agunah case!
This milestone in our history demonstrates the success of our sensitive
approach to agunah
resolution which combines amicable facilitation with relentless
advocacy.
Click here to
read more...
LIST OF NAMES OF AGUNOT
TO DAVEN FOR THIS
YOM KIPPUR 5771
ORA RESOLVES ITS 140TH CASE
A review of recent resolved cases
July 30, 2010
This week, ORA resolved its 140th case since its founding over eight years
ago. Here are some
highlights from the last ten resolved cases:
Click here to
read more...
Meir Kin Seruv Reissued
June 25, 2010
A seruv (order of contempt) was issued this week
against Meir Kin. This is a very significant development in the case of
Meir and Lonna Kin. We, at the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot
(ORA), hope that the Los Angeles Jewish community will take the
necessary steps in order to convey to Meir his obligation to go to beit
din and issue an unconditional get.
Click here to read
more...
ORA RESOLVES ITS 130th CASE
April 2010
Following only two months of involvement by ORA and
after waiting for nearly two years, Shifra finally received her get.
Click here to read
more...
ORA RESOLVES ITS 100TH CASE
June 2009
Almost two years since ORA first received a call from Rachel, an
unconditional get has finally been given marking ORA’s 100th resolved
case. Rachel and Meir were married for 15 years before separating. Their
daughter, Bella, was only two when Rachel and Meir separated citing
domestic and emotional abuse as cause for divorce.
Click here to read more...
ORA SUCCEEDS IN AWARDING $202,000 TO
AN AGUNAH
May 2009
In a landmark decision by the Superior Court of the State of California, a current
agunah has been awarded $202,000 in damages. The judge awarded $75,000 for “intentional infliction of emotional distress” resulting from the withholding of a get (Jewish divorce) and $127,000 for enforcement of a foreign court order. This is an unprecedented ruling and a monumental event for ORA and other
agunot who have suffered tremendously at the behest of their husbands who refuse to give them a get. The judgment is indicative of a shift in the civil court system which is now recognizing the legal ramifications of withholding the get and imposing sharp penalties on those responsible.
Click here to read the full
judgment.
WAITING FOR THREE YEARS, SANDY IS SET FREE: ORA RESOLVES ITS 97th CASE
March 17, 2009
Sandy and Noah were separated for nearly three years before Noah finally
decided to give her a get and ORA resolved its 97th case. On March 3rd, 2009, Sandy called more
delighted than ever to tell us that she was holding on to the get that she had been hoping to receive
for such a long time. After over a year and a half of ORA’s tireless involvement, Sandy was set free
and can now rest assured that the get will not be used as leverage as they continue in their civil
divorce process.
Sandy first contacted ORA in November 2007 after trying to resolve her divorce alone for over a year.
ORA initially tried to facilitate a peaceful resolution through intensive negotiations and mediation.
However, Noah responded by kidnapping their two children – ages 3 and 5 – in March 2008. He was caught
four weeks later half-way across the country under the guise of a fake name, having broken their 5 year
-old’s arm and emotionally scarring both of the boys. Recognizing that aggressive action would not work,
Noah returned to the negotiation table, coordinated by ORA and a local rabbi. When Noah later decided
to forgo mediation and return to civil court, ORA assisted Sandy in assuring that the
beit din would
restart the seiruv process. Under the threat of communal pressure by ORA and our entire network of
volunteers and activists, Noah agreed to give the get.
WOMEN RECEIVES HER GET AFTER 4
YEARS OF WAITING and ORA RESOLVES ITS 93rd CASE
January 8, 2009
Leah and Dan were married on July 31, 2002 in
Israel. Just a couple of months after the newlyweds settled into their
home, the emotional and psychological abuse began. When she was eight
months pregnant with their son, Dan threw her out of the car and
abandoned Leah in the middle of the street. With a young son to support,
Leah realized that she couldn't stay married to Dan any longer. She
filed for divorce in Israel, and on March 3, 2005 the formal verdict was
passed down requiring Dan to give Leah a get.
Leah contacted ORA in March of 2006, a year after the ruling had been
issued by the Israeli Supreme Court. Dan had fled Israel in order to
avoid the alimony and child support payments and was living with his
mother in Boro Park. An ORA case worker attempted to make contact with
him, but each time he ignored the calls and letters. ORA members finally
staked out his apartment for hours, waiting for him to emerge in order
to serve him with papers; however, Dan still remained recalcitrant and
refused to give Leah the get.
Since he was not part of any local community, public protests and
pressure served no use. Instead, we found a law firm that would sue him
for his back payments that he owed to Leah in order to pressure him to
give her the get. This tactic worked and for the first time in 4 years
Dan finally contacted ORA to negotiate a settlement. After having
lawyers in the US and Israel review the agreement, Dan wrote out the get
yesterday and it is currently en route to Israel where Leah will receive
it and become a free woman.
For more information please see this article from the Jewish Press
http://www.jewishpress.com/pageroute.do/37196.
**Names and identifying details may have been changed to
protect the involved parties.
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