GET

Coordinator – Deputy Secretary of the Beit Din – Rabbi Yitzhak Karshenbaum

[email protected]

Tel. +38 050 342 19 68

Address: Dnipro, Sholom Aleichem str. 4

A get is a Jewish religious document that certifies a divorce between a husband and wife. In Judaism, a get is necessary for a divorce to be recognized as valid under Jewish law (halakha). Without it, the couple, even if they have obtained a civil divorce, are considered married under religious law.

How the process of awarding the geth is handled

The process of divorce with a get takes place in a rabbinical court (Beit Din) and involves several steps:

  1. 1. Application for divorce: One spouse files a petition with the rabbinical court requesting a Get.
  2. 2. Consent of the parties: Both spouses must agree to the divorce. The husband plays a key role, as Jewish law requires him to voluntarily “hand over” the get to his wife, i.e., to formally provide the divorce document.
  3. 3. Drafting the Get: In the presence of the judges, the Get is drafted by special rabbis and transcribed in Hebrew. The document includes basic information about the husband and wife and the wording of the dissolution of the marriage.
  4. 4. Handing over the Get: The husband presents the Get to his wife in the presence of witnesses. This symbolizes the consummation of the marriage union.
  5. 5. Confirmation of divorce: after the get is given to the wife, the rabbinical court executes a document confirming that the marriage is officially finalized from a halachic perspective.

Why do you need a geth

A get is necessary to get a divorce according to Jewish law. Without it, a woman cannot remarry according to halacha and may remain religiously “bound” to her husband. Therefore, obtaining a get is an important and necessary procedure in a religious divorce.

Agunot are women who did not receive the geth

In some cases, the husband may refuse to give the get, or his whereabouts may be unknown. Women who cannot divorce because of such situations are called agunot (“constrained”). In Judaism, such cases are particularly complex and raise many legal and social issues. Some Jewish organizations and rabbinates make efforts to help such women, but in strict halachic observance such situations remain difficult.