The Tel Aviv Rabbinic Court has ordered a get (divorce document) to be given to S. after a long struggle with her husband, a famous personality, who refused to divorce her for four years.
The decision came after the court posed an ultimatum to the husband, that if he did not grant the get, harsh legal and financial sanctions would be considered. Among the sanctions on the table were the termination of his employment with his employer and the publication of his name in public.
The couple married 22 years ago and had children during their time together. Four years ago, they separated, but, according to the wife, the husband refused to grant the halachic divorce and demanded significant monetary concessions in exchange, while using verbal and economic violence.
In recent years, the woman resided overseas, and last summer, she decided to reach out to Or Torah Stone's "Yad La’isha" organization, which represents those whose husbands refuse to grant a get.
Attorney and rabbinic advocate Tehila Cohen, who represents the woman in the process, asked the court to apply direct pressure on the get refuser.
She asked that his place of work fire him and that his identity be cleared for publication to end his refusal. Later in the hearings, the husband's employer appeared before the court to consider the possible steps.
The judge, Rabbi Shlomo Shtessman, notified the husband that he was to issue the get by April 30th. The judge made clear that if he did not do so, he would consider the attorney's request for sanctions positively.
According to sources involved in the case, a short time before the ultimatum expired, the husband announced that he was prepared to grant the get and appointed a messenger to deliver it to his wife.
On Thursday, the wife officially received her get at the Tel Aviv Rabbinic Court after arriving in Israel to complete the process.
Cohen stated: "We are witnesses to another case that proves that only uncompromising and unequivocal action against get refusers is the key to quickly free get refusees."
