Keshet Starr: How Should we Advocate for Agunot? [Agunah Crisis 2/4]

04/27/21 • 63 min

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Keshet Starr - CEO of ORA - about what it’s like to work on the front lines of agunah activism.
As the CEO of ORA - the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot - Keshet is directly involved with many cases of get-refusal, working with both parties to ensure a satisfactory resolution. She is also involved in agunah advocacy - both for specific agunot and to raise awareness for the issue in general - and prevention. While many are averse to the concept of prenups, as it makes them uncomfortable, Keshet works to normalize and publicize the halakhic prenup, as well as other agunah prevention tactics.
What does a typical agunah case look like? What steps does ORA take when helping an agunah? Do they protest on social media and at the get-refuser’s home immediately, or first verify the details of the case and develop a plan of action? Who does the prenup benefit and how does it give newlyweds insurance? Does it create a standard for marriage that’s better for everyone? Tune in to hear Keshet Starr reflect on her work in agunah advocacy, and the contributions she’s made as the CEO of ORA.
References:
Tears of the Oppressed by Aviad Hacohen
Meishiv Milchama by Rav Goren
Marriage, Divorce, and the Abandoned Wife in Jewish Law by Michael Broyde
Gray Matter by Chaim Jachter
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
For more, visit https://18forty.org/agunah/.
Mrs. Keshet Starr, Esq., is the Executive Director of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA), the leading nonprofit organization addressing the agunah (Jewish divorce refusal) crisis worldwide. At ORA, Keshet oversees advocacy, early intervention, and prevention initiatives to eliminate abuse from the Jewish divorce process. Keshet is a Wexner field fellow and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Keshet has written and lectured widely on issues relating to divorce, domestic abuse, and the intersection between civil and religious divorce processes. Keshet brings to 18Forty her passion, wisdom, and commitment to bringing change to individuals and the Jewish world.
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Previous Episode

Rabbi Shlomo Weissman: The Rabbinic Will and Agunot [Agunah Crisis 1/4]

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Rabbi Shlomo Weissman - head of Beth Din of America, YU Professor, and former lawyer - about the halakhic complexities of, and attempted solutions for, the agunah crisis.
A halakhic divorce contract, called a “get,” must be given from the husband to wife, and the parties must give/receive the get willingly. When one or the other party doesn’t willingly participate in this process, the marriage cannot be ended, leaving the woman unable to remarry by Jewish law. Traditionally this has lead to women being unable to remarry when their husbands disappeared, but the issue of get-refusal - of husbands refusing to divorce their wives, maybe for leverage or spite, leaving them unable to remarry - is a more recent phenomenon.
Among the topics covered, we discuss the following: What is the scope of the agunah crisis, and more specifically of get-refusal? What halakhic mechanisms does it involve? What makes this problem harder to solve than other problems relating to halakhic contracts? What solutions have been proposed in the past? Tune in to hear Rabbi Shlomo Weissman explain the complexities of this issue, and help contextualize it both in Torah and in modern society.
References:
The Power of Moments by Chip and Dan Heath
Scholarly References:
Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz
For more, visit https://18forty.org/agunah/.
Rabbi Shlomo Weissman serves as the Menahel/Director of the Beth Din of America, one of the foremost institutions for rabbinic legal adjudication. Shlomo received rabbinic ordination from RIETS and is a graduate of Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Prior to his association with the Beth Din of America, Rabbi Weissmann worked as an attorney at several prominent law firms, including Debevoise and Plimpton LLP. Shlomo lectures widely on the interface of Jewish and secular law, and is an Adjunct Professor at the Sy Syms School of Business at Yeshiva University. Shlomo brings his decades of knowledge, experience, and dedication to helping agunot to his conversation with 18Forty.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.

Next Episode

Bari Mitzmann: Social Media & Agunah Advocacy [Agunah Crisis 3/4]

In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we talk to Bari Mitzmann - Instagram content creator and host of the Women of Valor podcast - about social media advocacy, particularly in regard to the agunah crisis.
With an Instagram audience of 30,000 followers, Bari is often asked to promote causes. One such cause was the recent #FreeChava campaign where Bari's promotion helped spark recent support for agunot. While posting about advocacy on social media seems like a natural thing to do, it can be hard to verify information about the causes being posted. Bari therefore likes to be careful about what she posts, posting sparingly to ensure maximum effectiveness.
Does Bari use her account for advocacy? What kind of advocacy works best on social media? Why did she choose to advocate regarding the agunah crisis? What boundaries can be established on social media to maintain agency and sanity? Tune in to hear Bari Mitzmann reflect on her social media advocacy and the role she played in recent agunah advocacy.
References:
Women of Valor podcast with Bari Mitzmann
For more, visit https://18forty.org/agunah/.
Bari Mitzmann is a content creator, wife, and mother of two, who partners with women of all backgrounds to provide personal growth support. Bari holds a BA in Psychology, a Masters in Education, and has a large following on Instagram, where she thinks and talks about nutrition, social change, and the world of Jewish women. Bari is the host of the Woman of Valor podcast, which offers candid conversation and practical advice for the modern woman. Bari joins 18Forty to discuss social advocacy, change, and how to build a better world through social media.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/18forty-podcast--4344730/support.