In a new development, the agunah of the man who remarried after obtaining a heter meah rabbonim has filed a $2.5 million civil lawsuit against the man and his new wife, FAA News has learned.
The story began with a talmid from Tosh who married a woman in 1998.
After the marriage, her father got very rich. He used his wealth to support certain mosdos and shuls which are affiliated with R' Zalman Leib of Satmar.
In or approximately 2012, the father-in-law got into a dispute with his son-in-law who davened at a different shul.
Ultimately the father-in-law convinced his daughter to leave her husband.
The woman did everything possible to antagonize and hurt her former husband. She dragged him to civil court (with permission from Rabbi Pinchos Rabinowitz), and ultimately alienating the children from seeing their father. At this point, the youngest child is too young to even remember ever seeing his father in their home.
The woman obtained numerous orders of protection against her former husband. The first couple of times the husband was able to get the orders dropped by the courts. However, eventually the woman hired enough lawyers and they were able to secure a final order of protection.
The woman married off all the children in Israel. Her hope was to get their father arrested in Israel due to his status of being a "get refuser."
At one point, seeing as his former wife was refusing to come to Bais Din to adjudicate the case, the man embarked on obtaining a Heter Me'ah Rabbonim. This ambition got delayed at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Subsequently, he renewed his efforts.
As part of the process of obtaining a Heter Me'ah Rabbonim, the man escrowed a get in bais din. In this fashion, once the woman is willing to adjudicate her divorce in bais din, she will receive her get.
Many Rabbonim from R' Aron of Satmar's community, including Rav Getzel Berkowitz, a respected dayan from Satmar, and Rav Yosef Yisroel Eisenberger, the Skver dayan, signed on the Heter Me'ah Rabbonim.
Earlier last year, around Purim time, the man was engaged to remarry. Rav Aron of Satmar gave his full blessings, telling him "run, don't walk" to remarry her.
The chasuna took place in the Monsey area. A Skver dayan was mesader kiddushin. The Tosh Monsey Rebbe read the kesubah.
In subsequent retaliation, numerous Rabbonim associated with Rav Zalman Leib of Satmar, including Rabbonim from Eidah Hachareidus, sought help from the Israeli government to arrest the Tosh Monsey Rebbe while he was in Israel. The Rebbe was arrested last week at Ben Gurion Airport while attempting to leave the country.
Seeing this arrest, Rav Ahron of Satmar - who is now fearful he will also get arrested during his next trip to Israel - who originally lent his full support to the man, has now turned a full 180 degrees against the man.
A massive shakedown campaign is now underway to coerce the man into giving a get.
As part of this shakedown campaign, the man was given a settlement agreement wherein his former wife is agreeing to drop all claims against him and allow him proper visitation of his children.
From behind the scenes, however, the woman just filed a civil complaint against the man and his new wife.
The complaint, which was filed in New York Supreme Court in Kings County, asserts that the man, "without obtaining a divorce or annulment, subsequently entered into a second marriage, constituting bigamy, a criminal offense under New York Penal Law § 255.15 and a violation of Jewish law."
The complaint demands judgment of $2,500,000.00, plus interest, costs, and punitive damages for the woman's emotional distress, fraud and deceit of the man's intentional concealment of his bigamous marriage, and breach of marital fiduciary duties.
To join the FAA News WhatsApp Status, click here.
2 comments:
Very sad that these people drag in the whole community in their shmutz let alone the little bit respect that rabbonim used to have till now has also vanished.
As long as it's in court . No validity to the get. And he can remain married, and not allowed to talk against him.
According to Jewish Law.
Post a Comment