Reviewing films for the conference, I watched cuts from Women Unchained, an in-development documentary on the subject, that clearly lays out the plight of the agunah and their families, the anguish of all who are caught up in this horrific ordeal, and the history and attempts to address this issue. I watched rabbis shake their heads in sympathy as they expressed concern, and activists bemoan the situation and lack of movement. And as I watched, my frustration and anger mounted.

How long will we continue to subject ourselves to this injustice? How long will we continue to talk, and talk some more, to listen as others talk – and to accomplish little? I can’t help but ask myself: Where is the communal outrage? Is the apathy we see a result of people feeling they have no power to change the status quo? Where is the rabbinic courage – and leadership? Where is the social justice? We speak of the beauty and pleasantness of the Torah way of life – but the tragedy of the agunah does not fit this picture.

A conference at Fordham University on Jewish Family Law, the Agunah and General Issues in Jewish Law took place on February  7th and 8th,  and YU and the Beit Din of America are co-sponsoring a conference on “The Agunah Crisis” on February 14th.

In the face of this recent and upcoming activity, can we dare to have hope?

Halakhic solutions to iggun have been put forward and used in different communities in response to local situations throughout history. We have only to use them!