In the US, legally valid divorce is a purely civil proceeding. But within certain circles, it’s enough to walk away from a bad marriage, but not enough to move forward toward a fresh start on a new life and a remarriage.
Such is the case for Orthodox Jewish wives whose husbands refuse to agree to grant them a Jewish divorce, also known as a get.
Even with a civil divorce, an Orthodox Jewish woman will be unable to remarry an Orthodox Jewish man, and bear and raise children in an Orthodox Jewish home.
And Orthodox Judaism is not just a religion, but also a culture and a community.
This is why a twenty-five year old Orthodox Jewish woman (Wife) is asking a New York family court to award her permanent alimony. Despite her youth, Wife’s role in her culture and community is to be a mother and homemaker. It is her Husband’s role to support her.
And without a get from her Husband, Wife will not be able to marry another breadwinner-husband within her culture and community.
And the presiding New York family court judge, who once battled to obtain her own get, has already signaled the Husband in this case that she concurs with the logic of Wife’s legal argument for permanent alimony.
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