The Jewish Divorce Project- Episode 14: Getting the Gett- An Interview with Keshet Starr of ORA

Sometimes the podcast creates itself! We give you our very first interview in this week's episode. 

This week, Sheva and Noam sit down with Keshet Starr of ORA. (Full bio and description below)*

Keshet sheds light on the work done to bring justice to people who find themselves chained to a marriage they don't want to be in.

During the conversation we discuss: Connection between gett refusal and divorce; the communities role in preventing gett refusal; what a halachic pre-nup is and how it works; and the connection between gett refusal and healthy relationships and healthy divorce.

Since a Jewish marriage is enhanced by the ketubah- a Jewish legal contract outlining the responsibilities and obligations each partner has to the other- the contract must be made void if the marriage ends. Once the ketubah no longer has power over the relationship, each partner is free to marry again within the Jewish faith.

However, if one partner refuses to annul the ketubah this makes the other partner an agunah, or "chained" to their marriage. That's were ORA comes in. ORA fights for those who are chained to ensure that their partners provide them with the divorce and set them free to live their lives.

We also use words like "Halachicly" which means, "in accordance with Jewish law or practice."

*Keshet Starr, Esq., is the CEO of the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA), the nonprofit organization addressing the agunah (Jewish divorce refusal) crisis on a case-by-case basis worldwide.  At ORA, Keshet oversees advocacy and early intervention initiatives designed to assist individuals seeking a Jewish divorce, along with prevention initiatives to eliminate abuse from the Jewish divorce process. Keshet has written for outlets such as the Times of Israel, The Forward and Haaretz, and frequently presents on issues related to Jewish divorce, domestic abuse, and the intersection between civil and religious divorce processes. Keshet has also authored academic work focused on get refusal and domestic abuse, and is a Wexner Field Fellow.  A graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Keshet lives in central New Jersey with her husband and three young children.

Organization for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA), the nonprofit organization addressing the agunah (Jewish divorce refusal) crisis on a case-by-case basis worldwide.  At ORA, Keshet oversees advocacy and early intervention initiatives designed to assist individuals seeking a Jewish divorce, along with prevention initiatives to eliminate abuse from the Jewish divorce process.