ots@ohrtorahstone.org.il

Whether working to free individual women trapped in abusive marriages, or fighting for change on a systemic level, women advocates continue their tireless quest for justice for the aguna in particular, and for Jewish women in general.

"Expert and female" - Monica Dennis Goldberg advocates at the Yad L'isha Legal Aid Center and Hotline. Pictured (l to r): Devorah Brisk, Vardit Rosenblum, Osnat Sharon, Dina Reitchik, Moriah Dayan and center director Batsheva Sherman-Shani

Since its historic establishment, OTS’s Monica Dennis Goldberg School for Women Advocates has been training women to represent cases in the Israeli rabbinical courts. “It’s hard to imagine, but just 15 years ago my profession did not even exist,” says advocate Batsheva Sherman-Shani, director of the school’s Yad L’isha Legal Aid Center and Hotline. “Women were not allowed to argue Jewish law before the rabbinical court tribunals; they weren’t allowed by law to sit for the exams that would qualify them to do so. It was only because of the Goldberg School’s vision and persistence that the battle was brought to the Israeli Supreme Court, which ruled in our favor. The rest is    history,” she says.

Now, the school is embarking upon a new initiative. “We need to train more women advocates, but we have also identified the need to reach out specifically to civil attorneys,” says Sherman-Shani. “Sometimes a woman will hire a civil lawyer to represent her, instead of a specially-trained rabbinical court advocate. Even if that lawyer truly has her client’s best interests at heart, she is at a distinct disadvantage in the rabbinical court, simply because she is not fluent in rabbinic law and procedure. Our goal is to fill in some of the gaps in the attorneys’ education, so that every woman gets the professional representation that she deserves.”

Each week, a group of civil lawyers gathers on the Chana and Yaakov Tilles Campus for an intensive training program where they study the Jewish legalities of divorce. The initiative brings together an outstanding faculty of rabbis, judges, lawyers and rabbinical advocates, who demonstrate how to argue the intricacies of Jewish law to protect the rights of vulnerable women. The course also alerts the lawyers to some of the methods used by recalcitrant husbands to evade their responsibilities or to blackmail their wives in exchange for the get, and instructs them on how to counter such situations within the framework of halacha. “We’ve found that the lawyers are amazed at the sophistication of Jewish law,” says Sherman-Shani. “They find it refreshing to hear Orthodox voices which are sensitive to the needs of women, and are often shocked by our dedication and track record.”

IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

Since its inception, Yad L’isha has proven that Jewish law can be used to defend the rights of women in the modern world. “But unfortunately, the need for the continued existence of the Center and its women advocates is illustrated in each new case we undertake,” says Sherman-Shani. “It is heartbreaking to witness the injustice that so many women encounter in their divorce proceedings.”

One of Yad L’isha’s recently-closed suits is a case in point. Sarah (not her real name) was repeatedly refused a get by her husband. She had resigned herself to living out the rest of her life trapped and alone, when her brother happened to see a television interview with Monica Dennis Goldberg advocates from the Yad L’isha Legal Aid Center and Hotline and convinced her to phone them in a last-ditch attempt to free herself.

For Sarah, the call marked the beginning of her salvation. Yad L’isha advocate Vardit Rosenblum understood immediately that there was more to Sarah’s story than the facts in the file. “Call it a woman’s intuition, call it professional experience,” she relates, “but I knew Sarah had good reasons for wanting a divorce and that they had not been brought to light by her previous attorney.”

Rosenblum’s gentle and compassionate probing revealed that Sarah had been sexually abused by her husband, but that she had been too embarrassed to reveal the details to her male lawyer. “I never told anyone what my husband had done to me and why I wanted to leave,” Sarah says. “It was just too embarrassing. But with Vardit, I was finally able to open up and describe the terrible things that took place during the most intimate moments of my marriage.”

“I FEEL LIKE I’VE BEEN REBORN”

With new information at hand, Rosenblum moved to re-open the case. Surprisingly, the justices refused to admit the fresh evidence; Undeterred, Rosenblum brought the case to the Supreme Rabbinical Court. Suddenly, a new obstacle presented itself: Sarah got cold feet and decided to drop the proceedings.

“We had come so far,” recalls Rosenblum. “But when Sarah realized that she was going to have to repeat what she had told me in front of the rabbinical judges, her husband and a room full of strangers, she panicked.” Rosenblum brought her client for professional counseling, while simultaneously spending hours coaching and preparing her for the aggressive questioning and emotional strain that she would face at the trial.

The preparation was essential. Sarah’s husband refused to budge, showering the judges with reasons to delay the get. But Rosenblum’s clear, honest and professional portrayal of the facts ultimately convinced the rabbis, who ruled in Sarah’s favor.

“It is still hard for me to digest the fact that I am free, when I thought I’d be living the rest of my life as an aguna,” says Sarah. “Only an advocate like Rosenblum, who is both an expert and female, could have brought me to this point. It’s hard to describe the feeling of overwhelming joy and gratitude – I feel like I’ve been reborn.”

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