“Lori Hoffman emails:

Your Mar 5, 2009 page discusses something you apparently posted about Meir Kin not wanting to give his wife a get. I can’t find your original post but I see Morris’s reply and want to add my voice to it.

I know Meir tangentially and his first wife, I used to see Meir at single’s events. My husband knows Meir very well as they were both living in Monsey. As for Lonna I know her and had occasion to interact with her many times when I lived in Monsey several years ago. She was a real estate agent and very close with my ex-husband. My opinion of her was not at all positive even before I knew many details and before the divorce from Meir.

Shortly after I left Monsey I returned for a visit and ran into her on the street. She said to me that she was getting a divorce and then proudly announced she was an agunah stating ‘he won’t give me the get because he wants half my business’. I was really astounded at how she seemed to be boasting about it, she seemed to want me to automatically assume he was in the wrong and out to destroy her and she wanted her 15 minutes of fame. I looked her in the face and told her to give him half the business since it would mean her freedom since that is what she apparently wanted. I didn’t buy into the story even then as I knew her to be very ruthless and Meir to be a very gentle person from what I could see.

Mr Kin was working as a physician’s assistant in a hospital in NY. Lonna protested in front of that hospital causing Meir to lose his job. My husband was very friendly with Meir as I noted previously, and knew that he was not the evil person that Lonna made him out to be.

Small world that it is my husband’s ex-wife is Lonna’s closest girlfriend. As they say you can tell a person by the company they keep, my husband’s ex is an extremely vicious person who has interfered in our lives from the moment she heard of my existence. As soon as we married she took us to court demanding more money and Lonna was sitting by her side holding her hand.

After that first day in court Lonna chased my husband into the parking lot to wish him ‘mazal tov’ on our marriage. She then went and tracked down my ex-husband and brought him into the fray as well. I feel as if I am back in junior high with 2 nasty teenage queen bee girls who can’t stand that someone took their boyfriend away…….

My husband’s ex-wife has three ex-husbands now so between her and Lonna they have worked together to destroy 5 men’s lives along with their families. I have been looking for a way to get Meir’s address as I would like to write to him, if you have that I would appreciate.” – Luke Ford, “Behind Meir Kin’s Divorce,” October 4, 2009, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=11431

The Meir Kin case stands as a stark example of how familial connections, institutional power, and activist pressure can converge to persecute an individual husband while distorting traditional Jewish law (halacha). What supporters describe as a “Rabbinic Mafia” has subjected Meir Kin to a nearly two-decade campaign of public shaming, financial extortion, and social ostracism—all while a kosher get (religious divorce) has allegedly been available since 2008. This sociological analysis reveals layers of nepotism, jurisdictional manipulation, and systemic abuse that have turned one family’s tragedy into a symbol of broader institutional failure.

The Nexus of Power: Familial Monopoly and Conflict of Interest

At the heart of the alleged corruption lies the Ralbag family network. Lonna Kin (née Ralbag) is the first cousin of Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag, a chief dayan at the Bais Din of Agudas Harabbonim. This connection, critics argue, should have disqualified related rabbinical courts from involvement. Instead, Agudas Harabbonim and the Rabbinical Council of California (RCC) issued multiple seruvim (contempt orders) against Meir under reported pressure from Rabbi Ralbag.

The influence extends to Israel’s Chief Rabbinate. Chief Rabbi David Lau, whose wife is a Ralbag, is accused of intervening personally, including in the delay of Meir’s mother’s burial. Meir’s supporters maintain the system was rigged from the outset: Lonna’s relatives occupied key positions in the very institutions—the RCC, Agudas Harabbonim, and Israeli Rabbinate—tasked with judging the case. This created a preordained outcome favoring one side, overriding standard halachic procedures and fairness.

The Myth of the Agunah: A Get Available Since 2008

Central to the narrative is the claim that Lonna remains a “chained woman” (agunah). According to the Bais Din Shaar Hamishpot in Monsey (under Rabbi Abraham Gestetner), this is a fabrication.

• On March 10, 2008, Meir deposited a kosher get for Lonna via a shaliach (agent) at the Bais Din.
• Lonna was notified on November 10, 2008, but ignored it for seven years, only inquiring on August 18, 2015.
• The bet din has repeatedly stated that Lonna is “chaining herself” by refusing to meet halachic conditions: canceling “illegal” seruvim issued without properly hearing Meir, removing defamatory materials, and restoring his access to shuls without restrictions.

Lonna has since dated another man and obtained a marriage annulment from the International Beit Din (IBD) in 2017, further undermining claims of being chained while the original get remains unclaimed under proper conditions. The bet din has warned that handing over the get without these safeguards risks creating a get me’usah (coerced divorce), which is invalid under halacha.

Weaponization of Secular Courts and the Gag Order

A key element of the alleged abuse is Lonna’s recourse to secular courts, violating the Torah prohibition against litigating in arkaos (non-Jewish courts). In December 2004, she filed for divorce in New York Supreme Court without prior bet din approval. A Family Court gag order then prohibited Meir from revealing critical details of the marriage—particularly concerns about child safety—to any rabbinical court, under threat of imprisonment.

Meir claims Lonna dismissed her initial civil case only after a judge ordered a forensic examination of her computers, which allegedly contained damning evidence. By suppressing this through the gag order, the focus shifted entirely to portraying Meir as a “refuser.” This civil intervention crippled his ability to present a full defense in halachic forums, creating an impossible bind.

The “Agunah Industry,” ORA, and Social Lynch Mobs

Organizations like the Organization for the Resolution of Agunot (ORA) have amplified the case, using it to fuel donations and public campaigns. Critics describe ORA’s tactics as thuggish: multiple rallies at Meir’s workplace (leading to job loss), outside his elderly parents’ home, and at family events. Under halacha, a get must be given voluntarily; such pressure creates coercion (kefiya), invalidating any resulting divorce.

This selective outrage stands in contrast to the community’s response to other scandals, such as rabbis convicted of sexual misconduct or fraud. High-profile “agunah” cases sustain advocacy efforts, even as official statistics (e.g., the 2009 Israeli Rabbinate Report) show such cases are statistically rare.

Extortion at the Grave: The 2019 Burial Scandal

The most egregious example occurred in August 2019 after the death of Meir’s mother, Yedda Kin. Upon the casket’s arrival in Israel, the burial was halted for six hours at the reported request of Lonna and Rabbi Lau’s circle. Demands escalated for financial “guarantees” tied to the get—starting at $100,000, then $50,000, then $20,000. Meir’s brothers refused, calling it outright extortion.

The Badatz Bais Din of Jerusalem intervened with an emergency ruling, declaring the delay a violation of kavod ha-met (honoring the dead) and warning of severe communal consequences if the body was not released. The Monsey bet din condemned it as unprecedented cruelty with no halachic basis, especially given the existing get deposit.

Halachic Compliance: Heter Meah Rabbonim and Remarriage

Far from a simple refuser, Meir followed halachic pathways. In 2011, he received a heter meah rabbanim (permission from 100 rabbis to remarry), based on Lonna being deemed a moredet (rebellious wife) and other claims. He remarried in Nevada in 2014, with respected rabbis participating despite ORA protests. This underscores his compliance according to his bet din, yet it triggered further ostracism.

Double Standards and Shul Exclusion

In Las Vegas, Meir has been barred from synagogues like Chabad of Summerlin and denied honors, based on contested seruvim. This contrasts sharply with cases like Rabbi Yitzchak Wyne, who retained community leadership despite a bet din (including Rabbi Yisroel Belsky) declaring him a moser. Such inconsistencies reveal priorities driven by politics and connections rather than consistent halacha.

Sociological Implications: A Perversion of Justice

The Kin case exposes deep fragmentation in Orthodox authority: conflicting bet dins, civil-religious clashes, nepotism, and the power of social ostracism. A get has been on deposit for years, yet conditions for its kosher delivery remain unmet amid external pressures. Familial influence appears to have overridden proper procedure, turning institutions meant to uphold justice into tools of persecution.

This saga illustrates how the “agunah crisis” narrative can be exploited while ignoring root causes like forum shopping, gag orders, and unaddressed allegations from the husband. Reforms toward standardized, transparent processes could prevent such tragedies. Ultimately, Meir Kin’s ongoing exclusion—despite documented compliance—points to systemic corruption that sacrifices the inner morality of Jewish law for personal, political, and ideological agendas. The result is not justice, but prolonged suffering for an entire family.

References

Aaron Kin et al. v. Lonna Ralbag. (2022). Supreme Court of New York, Rockland County, Index No. 030022/2023.

Daas Torah Blog. (2016, December). The unfortunate case of Meir and Lonna. https://daattorah.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-unfortunate-case-of-meir-and-lonna.html

Forward. (2008). Protesters rally outside a home. https://forward.com/news/15291/protesters-rally-outside-a-home-as-debate-continue-03487/

Gestetner, A. (2018, September 5). Letter to Mrs. Lonna Kin. Bais Din Shaar Hamishpot.

Gestetner / Bais Din Shaar Hamishpot. (2019, August 27). Let the people see and decide… [Statement on Kin-Ralbag affair]. http://mishpattsedek.com/1025complete%20with%20hebrew%20and%20english.pdf

International Beit Din. (2017). Ruling on Lonna Kin annulment (referenced).

Jerusalem Post. (2019). Burial delay fails to end decades-old divorce refusal. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/agunah-not-consulted-in-failed-attempt-to-obtain-divorce-by-burial-delay-599441

Modern Torah Leadership. (2015, October 2). The International Beit Din controversy. https://moderntoraleadership.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/the-international-beit-din-controversy-a-statement-and-a-proposal/

New York Times. (2014, March 22). Unwilling to allow his wife a divorce. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/22/us/a-wedding-amid-cries-of-unfinished-business-from-a-marriage.html

Shaar HaMishpot. (2008). Meir Kin get document.

The Meir Kin Divorce Case, July 4, 2010, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=20707

Meir Kin Responds To Rabbinic Contempt Order, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=20526, June 27, 2010

Did Meir Kin Refuse To Give His Wife A Divorce?, March 5, 2009 https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=8408

Order Of Contempt Issued Against Meir Kin, June 25, 2010, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=20454

The New York Times vs. Meir Kin, March 23, 2014, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=53075

Order Of Contempt Issued Against Meir Kin, June 25, 2010, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=20454

Shaarei Tefillah Ripped Apart Over Meir Kin Divorce Dispute?, January 25, 2010, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=16279

Behind Meir Kin’s Divorce, October 4, 2009, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=11431

Meir Kin vs. the RCC IV, June 28, 2009, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=9219

Meir Kin Dispute Resolution In Sight?, May 20, 2009 https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=9032

Meir Kin Divorce Protests, May 11, 2009, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=8918

Meir Kin Divorce Protest, March 10, 2009, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=8432

2009 Official Israeli Rabbinate Report on State of Jewish Divorce, January 27, 2010, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=16372

A Nasty Fight The Rabbis Wrought, December 14, 2009, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=14245

A Pity, January 26, 2010, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=16308

How Do LA’s Orthodox Rabbis Determine Their Moral Priorities?, April 30, 2009, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=8819

If Rav Schachter Says March, They March, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=10062

JPOST: DECADE-LONG DIVORCE REFUSER RETRACTS PROMISE TO GIVE DIVORCE, August 21, 2019, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=128474