Together with a team of rabbis, attorneys, mediators, and mental health professionals, our dedicated caseworkers formulate an individualized action plan for each agunah case we take on. ORA works to open lines of communication and mediate disputes between all the parties involved, and provides guidance to men and women navigating the beit din system. Although ORA always works extensively to resolve each agunah case amicably, if necessary, we will apply social, communal, legal, and financial pressure against a recalcitrant spouse who refuses to issue or accept a get unconditionally.

ORA operates under the halachic guidance of Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rosh Kollel of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) of Yeshiva University. Additionally, we work closely with rabbonim throughout the world on individual agunah cases. To see a partial list of rabbis who support our work, click here.

We are mandated by the Torah not to embarrass a fellow Jew in public. However, in the case of an agunah, if a beit din or highly respected Rav has ruled that a husband must issue a get and he has failed to do so, we as a community have an obligation to pressure the husband into complying with their ruling and setting his wife free. Because publicly shaming an individual is a very serious task to undertake, ORA always first obtains rabbinic approval (either in the form of a seruv or psak from a chashuv Rav) before holding a public demonstration against a recalcitrant husband, to ensure that our actions are in accordance with the highest standard of Jewish law. Although publicly shaming someone is always uncomfortable, when an individual acts in a manner contrary to Jewish law and withholds a get from his wife, we are forced to take action as a community, even publicly shaming a recalcitrant husband if necessary, in order to help free an agunah.

On the contrary, it is a tremendous kiddush Hashem to show that Judaism does not tolerate get-refusal, and that we refuse to stand by idly while an agunah suffers at the hands of her husband. When an individual twists Jewish Law into an instrument with which he tortures his estranged wife, we are required as a community to publicly demonstrate that such abusive behavior is unacceptable and incompatible with Torah values. The Torah commands us to stand up for the “ger, yatom, v’almanah”—the most vulnerable members of our society – so to turn a blind eye to the suffering of an agunah, who depends on the support of her community to attain her freedom, could not be a greater desecration of G-d’s name.

We are here to help! Please call our helpline at 1-844-673-5463 or email us at intake@getora.org to speak with us.

We are committed to responding to inquiries within 2 business days. However, in an emergency, please call 911. You can also call the National Domestic Abuse Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or by texting "START" to 88788.

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A get is a bill of a Jewish divorce which terminates the marriage between a husband and wife. The get is a 12-line Aramaic document written by a sofer (specially trained scribe) on behalf of the husband which the husband places in the wife’s hands in order to effectuate the divorce process. Unlike the civil divorce process, where a court official has the power vested in him or her to declare a married couple divorced, Jewish law require the active participation of both husband and wife in the divorce process. According to Jewish law, a marriage can only be terminated once a husband willingly delivers a get to his wife, and the wife accepts the get of her own free will.

Without a get, a couple is still considered to be married according to Jewish law, even if they are civilly divorced or have been separated for years. Consequently, pursuing a new intimate relationship before a get has been given is forbidden by Jewish law for both the husband and wife. Should a woman produce children from such a relationship, they would be considered mamzerim (illegitimate) according to Jewish law and forbidden from marrying within the Jewish community.

The halachic prenup is a legal document which, if universally adopted, has the potential to “end the agunah problem as we know it.” The Prenup is a legal agreement like any other contract you would sign – such as to purchase a house or engage in a business partnership – which goes into effect in the unfortunate event of a contested Jewish divorce. It has two primary elements: First, each spouse agrees to appear before a specific beit din and abide by its decision with respect to the get should the marriage end in divorce. Second, The Prenup contains a monetary incentive to give the get, amounting to $54,750 a year, which is enforceable in civil court. A reciprocal version of The Prenup provides the same financial disincentive for a wife who refuses to participate in the get process.

As a matter of public policy, signing The Prenup must become the norm so that all members of the Jewish community are protected from the horrors of get-refusal. To prevent an outbreak of disease, the entire population needs to be vaccinated, not just a few people. In addition, there are no guarantees in life. Divorce is a reality in our community, and The Prenup protects someone from their worst inclinations which are brought out in the heat of a divorce, thereby ensuring that the get never becomes an issue of contention. Every person should be able to say to their prospective spouse, “I love you so much, I never want to hurt you,” and put that in writing through signing The Prenup.

Yes! The halachic prenup has worked 100% of the time in preventing cases of get-recalcitrance, so long as the prenup was properly signed and a copy was available. The halachic prenup is designed to resolve modern agunah cases but not classical agunah cases (such as missing husbands) which are extremely rare in modern times.

The Prenup was drafted by Rabbi Mordechai Willig in consultation with halachic and legal experts. It is based on a classical version of the tana’im, the engagement contract. The financial disincentive delineated in The Prenup is based upon a husband's halachic obligation to provide food, clothing, and shelter to his wife so long as they remain married. Thus, The Prenup tells a husband "you don't want to give your wife a get? Fine, you must support her as outlined in the ketubah until you terminate the marriage by giving a get." The Prenup has been endorsed by a number of leading poskim, including Rabbi Zalman Nechemia Goldberg, Rabbi Gedalia Dov Schwartz, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, and Rabbi Osher Weiss. The Rabbinical Council of America has passed resolutions declaring that rabbis should not officiate at weddings in which a halachic prenuptial agreement has not been executed. To learn more, click here.

Explain to your fiancé why signing The Prenup is so important as a matter of public policy. Be clear that signing The Prenup does not indicate an intent to divorce or a lack of trust. In fact, we think The Prenup is kind of romantic. Signing The Prenup affirms your commitment to care for and protect your spouse throughout your marriage. If it still remains an issue, we recommend that you consult with a trusted rabbi, or feel free to contact us for guidance. Refusal to sign The Prenup may serve as a red flag for more serious control issues.

To simplify the process of signing The Prenup, we created a Step by Step Guide so that signing The Prenup is as easy as possible. Though The Prenup can be signed anywhere, all engaged couples are invited to sign The Prenup in ORA’s New York office. We will supply you with copies of The Prenup and walk you through the terms of the agreement. We have a notary public on staff and can execute the agreement in our office, free of charge. Give us ten minutes of your time and walk away with the signed Prenup in hand! To make a prenup signing appointment at ORA, please contact Jennifer Lankin, our Assistant Director of Programming and Development.

Yes! If you and your chatan/kalah will not be seeing each other before the wedding, you can each separately sign a prenup with witnesses and a notary, then staple the two documents together.

Yes! There is a postnuptial agreement that you can sign which, in essence, is the same document. We encourage all married couples to sign it. For example, Rabbi Mordechai Willig signed a postnuptial agreement with his wife. To access the postnuptial agreement, click here.