A divorce is a traumatic life altering event that unfortunately is becoming a more common occurrence in today's culture. The thought of divorce remains a nightmare too most people. Having said that, imagine being held in a marriage against your will, in some instances being abused, where only the man can dissolve the marriage through a get (request for divorce), whenever they want. Women are denied such a privilege. This is why she is called the agunah, literally meaning one who is "anchored" or "chained" (Porter, 13). This applies to Jewish women who live according to Halacha, Jewish law. This is most prominent among orthodox Jews due to the value of religious beliefs. Truly our imagination can attempt to understand this issue but the reality is no one can really come close to knowing what it is like trying to rid yourself of a failed marriage, without cooperation from the other party. Through an analytical approach I will discuss the sacrifices women make and undergo in such a devastating process, the role of the orthodox in a broader community and the issue of agunah in modern times.
             Through an immense amount of stories regarding women who express their life as an agunot, one makes an effort to comprehend, however the reality is so surreal. When reading deep into the issue of Jewish law it's fascinating, yet, saddening to see how women are being suppressed. If a wife refuses to accept a get, her husband can request a court of one hundred rabbis to issue the divorce or he can forgo the divorce and remarry without running the risk that his children will be considered bastards (Lagnado, 5). Needless to say none of these options apply to women. One attorney named, Dennis Rapps, stated that the laws governing marriage were never meant to victimize women. Indeed compared to Catholicism, divorce was no more complicated then invoking a contract (Lagnado, 6). Now the get has become a powerful negotia...