Rabbi speaks out on prenup

The article on the Israeli pre-nuptial agreement was very informative. Unfortunately, the headline is misleading (“Israeli prenup to help agunot likely not effective in Canada,” March 12).

It is true that Canadian courts will not uphold a financial component to a get. Having a court uphold a monetary payment to induce a get is a very strong tool. And I am close to finalizing such a document that will be acceptable to Canadian courts and rabbis. But that is far from the only help a halachic prenup can offer. It can set expectations before the marriage starts that withholding a get is never acceptable. It represents a solemn promise the couple makes to the rabbi that they will treat each other with respect even when the relationship is not working. And it teaches the entire community that we will not tolerate causing even one woman to become an agunah.

These goals by themselves are very powerful. The objections raised by a few rabbis are easily surmountable, especially when we keep in mind that using this document can virtually prevent a woman becoming an agunah – an imperative in our time.

I urge every rabbi to use my current document and I urge every couple getting married – and their parents, grandparents, and friends – to insist on it. If your rabbi can’t do it, contact me ([email protected]) and I will gladly help, at no cost. I would never allow anyone I love to get married without this protection. Please do the same. 

Rabbi Michael Whitman
Hampstead, Quebec

Bibi and Masada 

In the wake of the large victory by Benjamin Netanyahu, I have been remembering my first visit to Israel and Masada. The zealots held their ground until they committed suicide. It was the peacemakers who told the story.

With the declaration of no two-state solutions, I hope we are not heading toward a 58th-century Masada.

Adam Berel Wetstein
Toronto

All parties wanted peace 

Rabbi Dow Marmur uses the divisive term “anti-peace” (“Israeli women wage peace,” Feb. 26) when referring to right-wing women candidates who do not agree with Tzipi Livni and Zahava Galon, who speak on behalf of the left-wing “peace” camp.

All candidates in the election wished to have peace – the left-wing and Arab parties believe appeasing the Palestinians will achieve this. The right-wing parties do not. 

Ezra Franken
Montreal

Jews need allies

Jewish communities and organizations around the world have been fighting anti-Semitism in the same way for hundreds of years. It is simply not working. But with only 14 million Jews worldwide, how can we expect to effectively counter the hatred and falsehoods spread by hundreds of millions of anti-Semites? We need allies.

The place to find them is within communities that do not have a history of hating Jews or a predisposition to be anti-Israel. Unfortunately, that is not Europe. Even in a post-Holocaust world, European Jews cannot count on safety, security and protection under the law. While we must continue pushing for change in Europe, we need a more global approach. Asia is the place to start.

Asia is rising as an economic powerhouse whose sphere of influence will only continue to grow. As well, Jews and Asians have always had a mutual respect grounded in a set of shared values that are family-centred, place a premium on education and celebrate progress.

Canadian universities have a significant Asian student population. We should send these future leaders of their communities to visit Israel. 

There they will observe a progressive state that respects diversity, human rights, and the rule of law.  The students will take this positive experience and return home as ambassadors for Israel and the Jewish People.

We also need to send Jewish speakers to Asian organizations to further dialogue and explore opportunities for joint educational, social, and philanthropic pursuits.

My hope is that this exercise will go beyond the theoretical, and that real tangible projects and success stories will strengthen the bonds of friendship between us.

Murray Rubin
Toronto