Manhattan Meeting: France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia chats with New York Mayor Bill De Blasio at Park East Synagogue. Image by Getty Images

(JTA) — A rabbinical court in Paris officially dissolved the marriage of a Jewish woman who for 29 years had tried unsuccessfully to obtain a religious Jewish divorce from her abusive ex-husband.

The move Tuesday by the rabbinical court of Paris at the seat of the Consistoire religious group was hailed as a success in the fight for women’s rights by French Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia, according to the French-language edition of the news website Times of Israel.

“This case became a symbol long ago,” Korsia told the news website, which did not name the woman in question.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The couple received a civil divorce in 1988.

In Orthodox Judaism, a woman cannot divorce unless her husband consents, except in special cases where the husband is missing or unable to communicate his wishes. Women whose husbands refuse or are unable to give them a “get,” or religious divorce, are considered “agunot,” or chained women, and may not remarry.

In recent years, rabbinical courts have significantly cracked down on recalcitrant husbands, with prison sentences being handed down in Israel – where religious tribunals function as family courts as part of the judiciary.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount