|
Statement by
Barbara J. Zakheim, President and Founder,
February 22, 2007
The Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Abuse (JCADA) is a non-profit organization serving primarily Jewish victims of domestic violence and abuse in the Greater Washington, DC area. We offer emergency shelter, counseling, food, job training, legal help, and a host of other services for families in crisis, along with community education and dating abuse prevention programming for teenagers. As service providers for victims of violence on the front lines of the Jewish community, JCADA has been asked to testify today at the request of the Jewish Community Relations Council and the Maryland Jewish Alliance. I’d like to begin by sharing with you the story of a client that we will call Rachel to protect her identity. When Rachel sought a civil divorce from her abusive husband of 13 years, she never dreamed that he would deny her a get, or Jewish divorce, so she could someday remarry within the Jewish faith. She has been an agunah, or so-called “chained woman,” for 5 years. For many Jewish victims of domestic abuse, a spouse's withholding of a get is a final measure of control and abuse, which can continue to affect a woman long after she has separated from and divorced him in the civil court. In Rachel's case, her husband told her he would only agree to grant her a get if she agreed to drop any demands for alimony or child support for her four young children. If this sounds like blackmail, that’s because it is precisely blackmail! After five years of fighting, Rachel decided she had no choice and accepted his demands. She felt it was the only way to move on with her life. To this day, she struggles to provide financially for her four children as a single parent.
In another case, a woman was blackmailed into agreeing not to press domestic violence charges against her abusive husband in order for him to agree to the get.
The Removal of Religious Barriers to Remarriage Act, introduced by Sen. Lisa Gladden and Del. Sandy Rosenberg, will bring relief to many women like Rachel. The bill, carefully crafted to avoid constitutional concerns, requires both parties to a civil uncontested divorce to sign an affidavit stating that they have taken all actions within their power to allow the soon-to-be ex-spouse to remarry once the civil divorce is final. The Maryland Attorney General has written an opinion that the bill does not present any constitutional problems. JCADA strongly supports The Removal of Religious Barriers to Remarriage Act. It is a much-needed bill that will prevent women like Rachel from becoming dependent on the State for financial support and, more importantly, from continuing to be abused by and under the control of an ex-spouse. We urge Members of the Committee to support this important bill, and thank you for holding this hearing today.
|
Please enter your email address to signup for JCADA updates.
1-877-88-JCADA • 301-315-8040 • 301-315-8043 (fax) • Helpline: 301-529-0073