ORA: Organization for the Resolution of Agunot

Chaim Shapiro married his wife, Devorah Leah, in August, 2005. They have been separated since November, 2022 and civilly divorced since July, 2024.

Chaim is refusing to give Devorah Leah a get, leaving her an agunah. Get-refusal is domestic abuse.

A seruv (order of contempt) was issued against Chaim from the Vaad HaRabonim of Queens.

Yakov (Kobi) Ben David and Anya Spero separated in February 2025. Since then, Kobi has been refusing to give Anya a get, leaving her an aguna.

Get refusal is domestic abuse.

The Rabbanut Beit Din of Ariel, Israel, issued a psak (ruling) of harchakot De’Rabbeinu Tam (distancing measures) against Kobi.

Not every hesitation about the Halachic Prenup is a red flag.

Questions, uncertainty, and thoughtful conversations can be healthy parts of the process.

But once someone understands what the Halachic Prenup is designed to do, resistance can raise important questions.

Because the conversation is rarely only about a document.

It's about how two people respond to accountability, discomfort, and the responsibility to protect one another, even during conflict.

Healthy relationships are not built by avoiding hard conversations. They are built by navigating them with honesty, care, and mutual respect.

The Halachic Prenup | ORA | Agunah Prevention

When we think about the Halachic Prenup, it's often in the context of preventing get-refusal.

But it can also reflect something deeper.

The willingness to have conversations about things like accountability, vulnerability, and care says a lot about how a couple navigates difficult moments together.

Because at its core, the Halachic Prenup represents a simple but powerful commitment: that even in the worst case scenario, neither person will ever use the other’s freedom as leverage.

Mazal tov Zakkai and Ilana (ORA Campus Fellow '25) on signing your Halachic Prenup! 🎉👏❤️

Curious about the Halachic Prenup? Visit getORA.org/prenup | Friends Don't Let Friends Get Married Without the Halachic Prenup!

People often imagine agunah status as immediate or clear cut.

But long before a case becomes public, someone may already be waiting, hurting, and unsure what comes next.

ORA’s free and confidential helpline is here for men and women at every stage of the process, including the earliest and most uncertain ones.

Support doesn't have to wait.

For support: [email protected] | (844) 673-5463

Get-refusal does not happen in a vacuum.

For many agunot, it is part of a larger pattern of control, pressure, and coercion that existed throughout a marriage.

When a get is used to keep someone trapped, the harm is not only legal or halachic. It is deeply personal.

Understanding get-refusal as abuse helps us respond with the seriousness, compassion, and responsibility it deserves.

Agunah advocacy is happening all around the world.

Australia. South Africa. Israel. The UK. France. The US.

Because wherever there are Jewish communities, there are also people working to make sure no one is left trapped by get-refusal.

And what is even more powerful is when those organizations work together.

Cheirut brings together 14 organizations across 6 countries to help advocates share knowledge, coordinate strategy, and respond faster when get-refusal crosses borders.

Because when someone is caught between systems, a connected network can change everything.

This year, ORA gave more than 25 Agunah Prevention Initiative presentations to students, leaders, community members, and rabbis in schools and communities across the US and Israel! Prevention is the first step to ending get-abuse. To bring the API to your community, reach out to [email protected]

Early support can change the trajectory of a Jewish divorce.
Not every agunah case begins with an outright refusal. Sometimes it begins with delay, pressure, confusion, or the feeling that something is becoming harder to navigate.
ORA’s helpline has helped secure 148 gittin before those situations became agunah cases.
That matters for people currently in the divorce process.
And it matters for the friends, relatives, rabbis, kallah teachers, community leaders, and caring people who may be the first to hear that something does not feel right.
You do not have to wait until someone is stuck to help them find support.
ORA can help early.
And early can change everything.