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Marking Israel’s Yom Hamishpacha (Family Day), the Israel-based Yad La’isha organization of the Ohr Torah Stone network announced a record breaking month of resolved ‘get-refusal’ cases. These twelve closed cases represent one of the most active periods in the organization’s history. Each case handled by the Monica Dennis Goldberg Legal Aid Center and Hotline can involve months or even years of legal efforts and public advocacy.

“The ‘aguna-problem’ of women who are trapped in abusive or unviable marriages by their husbands deserves to be recognized as one of the most pressing challenges of the Jewish world,” explained Rabbi Kenneth Brander, President and Rosh HaYeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone. “Each of these twelve women that we have freed this month is achieving a personal exodus for themselves and their children. Each one represents a family saved.”

According to Yad La’isha, each year over 2,400 women around the world become agunot. While many cases are eventually resolved amicably, all too often women don’t have the resources to address the legal and emotional challenges involved when facing particularly recalcitrant husbands.

“We weep for every moment lost by the twelve women who were freed this month, but the same time we are tremendously excited that we were able to bring about their release,” said Pnina Omer, Director of Yad La'isha. "This month's impressive success is the result of dedicated work, creative thinking, and exceptional expertise by our team of women advocates, lawyers and social workers who have been fighting to release chained women for over 20 years. We will continue to pursue their rights to freedom, until a full halakhic solution is found. "

The women released are of all ethnic groups, ages, and socio-economic backgrounds and include religious and secular women. Among the cases resolved just two weeks ago was that of I., whose husband had threatened to kill her and had been arrested for violating a court-imposed restraining order. Despite the physical dangers she and her family were in, for six years she remained trapped in her marriage before coming to Yad La’Isha, who resolved her cases in less than twelve months. “ While I still have considerable scars from this experience, I feel invigorated to finally be free. I hope my experience can give hope and confidence to other women in my situation to know that their day will come.”