Modern Orthodox Jewish couples court controversy with religious prenup

NY Post ^ | 02.29.20 | Suzy Weiss

[Coleus]

Before Shanee Markovitz and Tani Kay get married this May, the couple gathered their close friends together recently to celebrate … their prenup. “I want my friends to see this as a huge part of our wedding. It’s as important as every other piece, if not more,” says Markovitz, 20. “We’re going to announce it at our wedding and put it in our programs, too.”

While many prenuptial agreements are kept hush-hush and often seen as unromantic, for this couple — who have been together since they were high-school sophomores — it’s a sign of liberation. And not everyone is happy about it.

Markovitz and her groom-to-be Kay, 21, are of the modern Orthodox Jewish faith and signed what’s known as a “Halachic” prenup. Rather than litigating alimony, these contracts protect a woman from becoming an “agunah” — which translates from Hebrew as “chained woman” — by compelling her husband to grant a Jewish writ of divorce, or “get.”

Otherwise, “the woman is stuck in a dead marriage. It’s functionally over but without her get, she can’t move on and be [re]married within the traditional Jewish community,” explained Keshet Starr, who runs the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA), which aims to help these women navigate the law.

[originalbuckeye]

I went to a Conservative Jewish wedding in NYC a few decades ago. They had the contract on display and showed the groom the bride before the ceremony, so he could verify that this was the woman he had contracted to marry. I really enjoyed the wedding, it was so different for this goyisha girl.

[higgmeister]

Go to Vegas if you want to gamble. Marriage is forever. Divorce is not an option.

[ronnie raygun]

Which means once again social service and the tax payer will pick up the burden of his ex wife and his many children.
Like they weren’t supported during their marriage. State recognizes the mother as a single parent with children allowing social services even though her and her husband are married within the religion

[rightwingcrazy]

Rather than litigating alimony, these contracts protect a woman from becoming an “agunah” — which translates from Hebrew as “chained woman” — by compelling her husband to grant a Jewish writ of divorce, or “get.”

Such contracts aren’t really a new thing; they’ve been around for decades. The idea that they may be controversial seems to be much more recent.

[Albion Wilde]

Under the Halachic mutual arbitration agreement, which was written in 1994 by a head of the Jewish court Beth Din of America, a husband’s refusal to grant a get would be penalized with a $150-per-day fine, or nearly $55,000 annually.

I'm not Jewish, but there was a time when I could have appreciated a contract like this. Mine took 7 years and half killed me until I deployed a Wall St Journal article about women getting 5- and 6-figure settlements for "abuse of legal process." Would have been over in one if I had a pre-nup.

[cloudmountain]

Go to Vegas if you want to gamble. Marriage is forever. Divorce is not an option

My sister brought home a guy she worked with...for me.
She knew what I needed and wanted. She was right.
Leave it to someone who loves you to get it right.

[cloudmountain]

I'm not Jewish, but there was a time when I could have appreciated a contract like this. Mine took 7 years and half killed me until I deployed a Wall St Journal article about women getting 5- and 6-figure settlements for "abuse of legal process." Would have been over in one if I had a pre-nup.

Don't worry. She'll get hers. Treating people badly is just plain wrong. At her death she'll have to meet with her Maker and her Maker will explain a few things about marriage to her.
Maybe our good Lord will let you listen. :o)

[Albion Wilde]

Don't worry. She'll get hers.

This particular pre-nup under discussion protects the woman. I was responding to that, as I am one. And yes, I do believe in divine justice.