‘Years of hell’: Jewish women describe the fight to obtain a religious divorce

A new documentary, Get Up: Breakthroughs in the Battle for Jewish Divorce, examines the devastating impact of get refusal, recognized as domestic violence. Producer Shoshana Palatnik and victim Caroline Maxwell, who spent eight years fighting for a get, are interviewed. Data shows 39.5% of surveyed divorcees experienced get refusal, with many forced to give up assets or wait years for freedom.

A new documentary, Get Up: Breakthroughs in the Battle for Jewish Divorce, examines the devastating impact of get refusal, a practice recognized in many countries as a form of domestic violence. The Jerusalem Post received an early screening in Jerusalem on Sunday evening and spoke with producer Shoshana Palatnik and Caroline Maxwell, who experienced get refusal firsthand. Data from Chochmat Nashim shows 39.5% of more than 400 divorcees surveyed experienced some form of get refusal, 44% were forced to give up something in exchange for a get, and 21% waited three or more years. The film tells the stories of several agunim, including one woman who died without receiving a get. Maxwell described her eight-year fight to obtain a get, which led to a landmark UK case where her ex-husband was sentenced to 18 months in prison for coercive behavior. The documentary also highlights a 2014 Israeli case where senior religious figures attempted to overturn a get granted to a woman whose husband was in a vegetative state. Palatnik said she hopes to normalize Halachic prenuptial agreements and promote transparency through the Rate My Beit Din platform.