In 2012, the Beth Din of America clearly outlined the Halacha: A party (read: ADEENA KOHN) may not seek redress in civil court (read: FILE FOR A GETT) unless the opposing party (RAPHI STEIN) has already refused an invitation to appear before a Beis Din.
In the Kohn v. Stein divorce case, Kohn filed for a civil divorce, and sought full custody, in October 2021, THEN RAN TO THE BEIS Din.
The BDA should have told Kohn that she is out of luck unless the entire case was moved to the Beis Din and out of the civil court. THEY DID NOT.
Instead, the BDA issued a seruv against Stein anyway in June 2023, RUINING HIS STANDING IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY.
Yes. The Av Beis Din and Director of the BDA, Willig and Weissman, used the full force and weight of their credibility against the party to the case who had Jewish law on his side.
Weissman says: “I am, very procedurally oriented.”
If you’re procedurally oriented why did you violate your own procedure?
Citations:
Feit, Y. (2012). The prohibition against going to secular courts. The Journal of the Beth Din of America, (1), 30-32. https://jlaw.com/Articles/ProhibitionSecularCourts.pdf
18Forty. (2021, April 27). Shlomo Weissmann: The rabbinic will and Agunot [Audio podcast episode]. https://18forty.org/podcast/shlomo-weissmann-the-rabbinic-will-and-agunot/
Appendix to Petition for Writ of Certiorari, Stein v. Kohn, No. 24-7482 (U.S. June 24, 2025). https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/24/24-7482/363775/20250625094950710_20250625-094311-00000114-00003368.pdf
Writing by Dr. Dannielle Blumenthal 