Writing by Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal

You know, one of the things that holds Americans back from defending ourselves is this cultural idea that we have. Unfortunately, our enemies are not nice. The way they govern their countries is not nice. And if we want to succeed against them, it’s not enough to expose them. We also have to harden our… — read more

Seeing my fellow Jews fight over various community issues, especially during a time of terrible antisemitism, is very disturbing. There is a way to disagree without descending into total thermonuclear war. — read more

One of the biggest lies told about Judaism is that we make women second-class. That couldn’t be further from the truth. But it’s also true that there’s a strain of modern, so-called “ultra-Orthodox” attitude — that says women should serve men and does put women down. Any time women assert their rights, they’re dismissed as… — read more

Link: https://justthenews.com/government/security/nsa-intercepted-ukraine-government-messages-discussing-effort-route-money-2024 Well, well, well. Bombshell news is now proving what many of us suspected all along. There were communications between the Ukrainian government and the U.S. government transiting through USAID in Kyiv discussing taking U.S. taxpayer money that was supposed to go to Ukraine to help them in the war and to flow it… — read more

Two questions come up a lot in discussions about divorce in halacha: No. In halacha, two wrongs don’t make a right. Withholding a Gett to extort, punish, or gain leverage is forbidden — it’s called get me’useh and violates lo toneh, the prohibition against oppression. Poskim including Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Hershel Schachter, and the… — read more

Misogynistic Jewish men call it “feminist cancel culture” when a community backs a woman whose husband won’t give a get. But get-refusal isn’t a hashtag. It’s a halachic problem with real consequences. A man is obligated m’d’oraita to support his wife while married. When the marriage is functionally over and he withholds a get to… — read more

In Halacha, the sin involved in creating mamzerim through Gett abuse is understood on two levels: the direct violation tied to the forbidden relationship, and the indirect culpability of the spouse who causes it through withholding a Gett. 1. The direct Halachic violation A mamzer is a child born from specific forbidden sexual relationships outlined… — read more

Characterizing a chained wife, an Agunah, as sexually promiscuous is both defamatory and abusive. The claim is defamatory because it spreads a false and injurious statement about her moral and religious character within her community, where sexual fidelity and adherence to Halakha carry serious social consequences. It is abusive because it weaponizes stigma to punish… — read more

While the legal definition provided focuses on physical safety, the concept of coercive control in modern domestic litigation is broader than just fear of physical harm. It is about the systemic destruction of a person’s autonomy. Defining Gett Abuse as Coercive ControlThe withholding of a Gett, a Jewish divorce document, is not about preventing sex;… — read more

The suffering of an agunah—a “chained” wife whose husband refuses to grant a get—is not only a personal tragedy but a communal and halachic crisis. While much attention is rightly focused on the recalcitrant husband, far less scrutiny is directed at the network of advisors, advocates, or “mentors” who enable and prolong this refusal. Raising… — read more