Rachel Levmore

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Jun 23, 2024, 3:36 PM

‘Tell me where shall I go?’

The songs my mother sang to me in my early childhood were in Yiddish. I had my favorites with one particular song standing out in its poignancy—which I sensed even as a very young child. “Vi ahin zol ich gayn”...

Mar 19, 2024, 11:48 PM

Preventing ‘Wartime Agunot’ in the Knesset

The October 7th sudden and horrific attack on Israel together with the ensuing war has created many tragedies. Too many. There is one tragedy in this war with which we have not yet been confronted, thank G-d, but we...

Nov 24, 2022, 2:01 PM

International Day for Elimination of Violence – of all Types – Against Women

November 25th is the day the world marks the recognition of a destructive force that exists in societies around the globe -- violence against women. As modern society has matured over the last century the understanding has deepened that there...

Mar 15, 2022, 9:29 PM

International Agunah Day for Those in the Diaspora

There is plenty to fix regarding the painful state of agunot and get-refusal. However, there was a very positive development this past year that is worthy of note for agunot in the Diaspora. There is an intersection of the agunah...

Jan 23, 2022, 5:00 PM

Rabbi Simcha Krauss – “If the Jewish Community Doesn’t Feel the Pain…”

Rabbi Simcha Krauss, zt”l, has passed into eternity. For those who remain in the earthly world, it is a great loss. Rabbi Krauss was multi-faceted, but I choose to share the Rabbi Krauss I knew. From the moment I walked into...

Feb 25, 2021, 1:07 PM

International Agunah Day again?!

A married couple, with the wife in chains. (iStock)

The rabbis have had ample time to use their sharp minds to nullify a husband's ability to exploit his power to chain his wife to an unwanted marriage

Mar 8, 2020, 3:51 PM

A Truly International Agunah Day

The deplorable phenomenon in Judaism of the “chained woman” – the agunah – has been repeatedly reported on these pages. Articles have been published, rallies have been held, conferences convened and solutions have been promoted – almost all in...

Feb 6, 2020, 12:15 AM

One Sin Begets Another: Oded Gez in Action

In the Jewish tradition there is a concept, or perhaps it can be called a warning or even a psychological insight, which says “aveira goreret aveira”. A transgression pulls another in its wake. If one begins with one sin,...

Jan 14, 2020, 8:57 PM

History Made in Jerusalem – Women’s Siyum HaShas

Three thousand three hundred women (with a good number of men) felt it. Thirty three hundred people witnessed it as it unfolded in front of their eyes. All in the center of Jewish history – Jerusalem. Thousands more around...

Dec 9, 2019, 7:27 PM

The Aspaklaria Theatre, founded by Hagay Lober, has accomplished an amazing feat. In the Hebrew language production of Shivrei Luchot – Broken Tablets, two very difficult and uncomfortable subjects are tackled – the seemingly unsolvable problem of the agunah...

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About Me

Rachel Levmore, PhD in Talmud and Jewish Law from Bar Ilan University, is the director of the Agunah and Get-Refusal Prevention Project of Young Israel - Israel Region and the Jewish Agency; one of the authors of the prenuptial "Agreement for Mutual Respect"; author of "Min'ee Einayich Medim'a" on prenuptial agreements for the prevention of get-refusal; member of Beit Hillel-Attentive Spiritual Leadership; and the first female Rabbinical Court Advocate to serve on the Israel Commission for the Appointment of Rabbinical Court Judges.