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OTS Newsletter- Fall 2001
LEGAL AID CENTER'S NEWEST TOENET: REUT GIATAfter four intensive years of study and successfully passing oral and written exams to become qualified as a toenet, Reut Giat, 26, is thrilled to be representing women in the rabbinical court. "I recently observed how toenet Sara Markowitz advocated for a woman whose request for a divorce had been previously rejected by the bet din," recalls the newest staff member of the Max Morrison Legal Aid Center and Hotline. "Sara spoke for only two minutes, but in that time, she succeeded in completely changing the attitude of the rabbinical judges. The potential to make such a drastic difference in someone's life is both an awesome responsibility and an inspiring challenge to me."Giat, a full-fledged product of the Ohr Torah Stone educational system, graduated from the OTS Neveh Channah Girls High School and, after army service that consisted of teaching disadvantaged children, served as a dorm counselor at Neveh Channah while studying advocacy at OTS' Monica Dennis Goldberg Women's Advocate Program. The principle of tikkun olam - aiding the less-fortunate and contributing to society - was a dominant theme throughout her education. These ideals, in addition to a fascination with civil law, tanach and halacha, inspired Giat to make a career of helping women break the bonds of dead or abusive marriages. "Becoming a toenet was really the perfect way to combine all worlds," says Giat, who was motivated and energetic enough to complete a B.A in bible and education at the Hebrew University while studying to become a toenet. Hired by the Legal Aid Center in April under a grant from The Nash Family Foundation, Giat immediately immersed herself in the cases of women whose husbands have withheld Jewish divorces for several years. "I've been handed a tremendous responsibility," she admits. "But it's a wonderful feeling to utilize all my capabilities and all I've learned for the purpose of changing women's lives."
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