Today is the Taanit Esther, a fast day to commemorate the threat of extermination faced by Jews as described in the Megillah. But did you know that it's also "International Agunah Day"? According to Jewish law, a divorce  becomes final when a man hands his wife a get, or a writ of divorce.  Sometimes men withhold the get to punish or extort their wives. While the occasional wife refuses to grant a get, Jewish law is stricter about women remarrying. A woman who wants to end her marriage, but whose husband can't or won't provide a get, is known as an agunah, meaning "anchored." The agunah issue has made news in the United States. Aharon Friedman is a congressional committee aide for … [Read more...]