Category: Gittin (Jewish Divorce)

  • Resolving Agunah Issues: A Local Success Story

    Resolving Agunah Issues: A Local Success Story

    Recently, a local couple separated, and the husband refused to give his wife a Get unless certain unrealistic conditions were met. The wife was an Agunah, a woman “chained” to her recalcitrant husband, for several months of emotional frustration and abuse.

    The Bet Din was able to work discreetly and effectively behind the scenes and, at a critical juncture, resolve the issue with the support of the Av Bet Din of Badatz Mekor Haim of Queens, Hacham Eliyahu Ben-Haim shalita. Through Rav Ben-Haim’s timely involvement and forthright efforts, the husband was ultimately persuaded to grant the Get, bringing the matter to a proper halachic resolution.

    May Hashem grant Rav Ben-Haim many more years of strength and good health to continue serving the community and helping resolve the complex challenges that arise.

    Rosh Chodesh Adar 5786

  • Writing a Get in Poughkeepsie, NY

    Writing a Get in Poughkeepsie, NY

    As the Covid Pandemic waned, there was a possibility that we would have to write a Get in Poughkeepsie, NY. An investigation was launched and went on for a few days to determine all the right identifying bodies of water and pronunciation of all the names.

    When all was said and done, we discovered Rav Nota Greenblatt, who was no longer functioning at the time, had been there already. The Gittin were located, and we found out he came to the same conclusion about the spellings and location.

    The article was published in Ohr Yisroel (Monsey) issue 44 page 307.

  • Spelling the Persian Name Pejman in a Ketubah or Get

    Spelling the Persian Name Pejman in a Ketubah or Get

    The correct spelling of names in the Get is critical to its efficacy. In this article, Rabbi Djavaheri discusses the transliteration of Persian (Iranian) names. The name at hand, Pejman, includes the Farsi letter ز (the /ʒ/ phoneme, a voiced postalveolar fricative, which sounds like J as in Jacques).

    Ashkenazim traditionally mark this sound with a זש, but there are different customs among Sepharadim. Some do a ג’ (a gimmel with an apostrophe), while others use a ז’.

    The responsum include a letter from Hacham Asher Hatchuel from the Sephardic Bet Din of Brooklyn and references to the views of other great Sephardic Dayanim of Israel and America today, including Rav Moshe Basri, Rav Eliyahu Ben-Haim, Rav Nissim Davidi, Rav Shmuel Khoshkerman,

    Le’Halacha: both פג’מאן and פז’מאן are acceptable.

    It was published in Beis Yitzchok vol. 50 pg. 232.

  • Wedding at The Sands at Atlantic Beach, NY

    Wedding at The Sands at Atlantic Beach, NY

    In this article, Rabbi Djavaheri advises another Bet Din about how to write the name of the location in a Ketubah for a wedding taking place at the popular venue The Sands Atlantic Beach on the South Shore of Long Island, New York.

    The issues covered include the proper orthography (transliteration/spelling) of the CH sound (IPA /tʃ/ ) for Sepharadim in Gittin and the true legal municipal boundaries of Atlantic Beach.

    It was published in the journal Avkat Rochel issue 30 pg. 190.