ORA RESOLVES ITS 100TH CASE
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. An order of protection was placed against the husband for fear that he would turn to violence against his daughter in addition to his wife. At first it seemed as though the separation would simply be a segue into a divorce resolution, however Meir was contacted by a notorious group of people who convinced him that the get could be used as leverage in exchange for a settlement of his choosing.

Rachel contacted ORA after trying unsuccessfully to procure a get for a year and a half. After speaking with all of the parties, the first step in helping Rachel was to find her an excellent attorney who could represent her throughout this process. We contacted their families, neighbors, and employers, but we were left without anything to show of our efforts. After many failed attempts at mediation and extensive consultations with rabbis in two different countries, Rachel still was without a get.

Two weeks ago we began facilitating a settlement discussion for the third time and it looked as though an agreement could finally be reached. Arrangements were made to sign the agreement in front of a legitimate Beit Din so that we could ensure the get be given immediately. Rachel called with tears in her eyes because she never thought this day would come. The years of waiting, the sacrifices she made for herself and her daughter, the despair she endured, and the life that was now given back to her through the get left her without words to say. The only thing left to utter was, “Thank you.”

Rachel is now free to start her new life with her beautiful daughter and ORA can proudly say that we have resolved our 100th case in six years.

ORA SUCCEEDS IN AWARDING $202,000 TO AN AGUNAH
In a landmark decision by the Supreme 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 text of the decision.

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.