Agunah Awareness Shabbat - 2022

"At ORA, we’ve seen firsthand the difference it makes when communities take a stand against get refusal. In cases where communities exhibit strong leadership, agunot are supported and empowered, and get refusers give up the fight faster. That’s why we’ve made this Shabbat an annual Agunah Awareness Shabbat. This Shabbat comes right before International Agunah Day, Ta’anit Esther, where communities around the world talk about how to bring an end to get refusal.

Get refusal has never been the most comfortable topic for us to discuss in our shuls and communities, but that’s the reason this conversation is necessary. We created Agunah Awareness Shabbat so that every agunah can walk into shul Shabbat morning knowing her community cares about this issue—and about her. So that we can stand together against the perversion of Torah and halacha that is get refusal.So that we can, finally, create a Jewish community of true spirituality and holiness, inside and out."

-- Excerpt from Viewing Get Refusal Through a New Lens by Keshet Starr, CEO, published in the Jewish Link, March 10th, 2022 in anticipation of the Agunah Awareness Shabbat.