Honoring the Plight of Jewish Survivors on International Agunah Day

Sanctuary for Families

March 21, 2024, marks International Agunah Day, when we recognize the plight of Jewish women who are denied a religious divorce (get) by their husbands.

Stand with Jewish survivors of domestic abuse by supporting Sanctuary’s Jewish Orthodox Matrimonial Initiative. Make a tax-deductible gift today. 

March 21, 2024, marks International Agunah Day, when we recognize the plight of Jewish women who are denied a religious divorce (get) by their husbands. Get denial, which is a known form of abuse in the Jewish community, results in women being “chained” to dead marriages.

Under traditional Jewish law, only husbands can grant religious divorces. In some cases, women remain chained to their husbands for decades, even after receiving civil divorces. In other cases, the provision of a get is used to extract unreasonable concessions from women, such as waiving claims to marital property, giving up custodial rights, or forcing cash payments. Without a get, traditional Jewish women may not remarry, holding them back from moving on with their lives.

Sanctuary for Families has long recognized the plight of Agunot — chained women — and represents a wide range of Jewish communities through its Orthodox Jewish Matrimonial Initiative (OJMI). Our attorneys partner with advocacy organizations, community leaders, and the religious courts to obtain religious divorces for our clients.

If you need assistance with a get, or if you would like to learn more, please contact our OJMI Senior Staff Attorney and Director, Alice Shooman, at ashooman@sffny.org or our Project Assistant, Rivkah Cohen, at rivkahcohen@sffny.org.

International Agunah Day coincides with the Fast of Esther, which recognizes the bravery of Queen Esther, who saved her people in ancient Persia by defying communal norms and risking her life to approach the King for help. We take strength from her example in advocating for our clients’ freedom.

 

DONATE NOW

The Essential Work of Sanctuary’s Social Workers

Sanctuary for Families

This March, as we celebrate National Social Work Month, we delve deeper into the heart of Sanctuary for Families’ mission, showcasing the specialized and compassionate work our social workers do every day.

This March, as we celebrate National Social Work Month, we delve deeper into the heart of Sanctuary for Families’ mission, showcasing the specialized and compassionate work our social workers do every day.

Our team of more than 80 social workers provides evidenced-based, trauma-focused therapies and support to survivors of gender violence across diverse communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals, unaccompanied minor immigrant children, and survivors of trafficking, female genital mutilation/cutting, and forced marriage. Their work is tailored, sensitive, and inclusive, focusing on the unique needs of survivors, including immigrant groups such as the West African and South Asian communities.

Here is an overview of the outstanding work led by Sanctuary’s social workers:

Individual Counseling

At the core of our services, individual counseling provides a safe space for survivors of all ages and backgrounds to share their stories and embark on a healing journey. Our social workers are trained to address the profound emotional and psychological barriers survivors face post-abuse.

Group Counseling

Surviving abuse is often a solitary journey filled with challenges. Through group counseling facilitated by our social workers and art and drama therapists, we offer a supportive environment where clients can find healing and strength in the stories of others, fostering a sense of community and shared resilience.

Case Management

Our comprehensive case management services ensure that survivors’ multifaceted needs are met. From securing housing and accessing food pantries to navigating public benefits and accompanying clients to important appointments, our social workers are there every step of the way, ensuring stability and support in all life areas.

Crisis Intervention

Our helpline and crisis intervention services are lifelines for those seeking immediate escape from violence. Safety planning and support are readily available to clients and families in their most critical times of need.

Survivor Leadership

Empowerment is key in breaking the cycle of abuse. Our Survivor Leadership program offers clients who have moved beyond their abusive relationships the chance to become peer educators and advocates, contributing their voices to raise awareness and foster community outreach.

Children & Family Services

Understanding that children and families bear the brunt of domestic violence, our Children and Family Services Program is designed to minimize the effects of violence on young lives, support family healing, and prevent the intergenerational cycle of abuse. Through a variety of trauma-informed therapeutic interventions, including TF-CBT, play therapy, and group counseling, we cater to the emotional and psychological well-being of children and teens.

Our educational advocacy, tutoring, childcare, and parenting support services ensure that families have the resources and support needed to navigate the challenges of school, life transitions, and parenting after violence.

As we honor National Social Work Month, we recognize the profound impact of our social workers at Sanctuary for Families. Their dedication, expertise, and compassion are pivotal in our mission to support survivors and advocate for a world free from gender violence. Their work embodies the essence of social work—empowering individuals and communities towards healing, justice, and change.

Denis McInerney, 2024 Zero Tolerance Honoree

Sanctuary for Families

Every year, at our Zero Tolerance Benefit, Sanctuary for Families honors those who have significantly contributed to the movement to end gender-based violence.

Every year, at our Zero Tolerance Benefit, Sanctuary for Families honors those who have significantly contributed to the movement to end gender-based violence. This year, we are thrilled to present the 2024 Zero Tolerance Award to Denis McInerney, Senior Counsel at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP.

INTRODUCING DENIS

Denis McInerney is a Senior Counsel in Davis Polk’s Litigation Department. In addition to his 27 years in Davis Polk’s White Collar Defense & Investigations Group, he has held a wide variety of positions as a federal prosecutor, including Chief of the Fraud Section and Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and Associate Independent Counsel in the Whitewater Investigation.

Mr. McInerney first joined Sanctuary’s Board in 2005 and served until 2010, when he stepped down to return to the Department of Justice. Upon his return to Davis Polk, he re-joined Sanctuary’s Board in 2015. Having served on a variety of Sanctuary Board committees over the years, including Audit (Chair), Development (Co-Chair), Finance, Nominating, and Program, Mr. McInerney became President of the Board in 2019. In addition to his work on Sanctuary’s Board, Mr. McInerney has devoted much of his time since 2019 representing incarcerated domestic violence survivors in clemency petitions and applications to be resentenced pursuant to New York’s newly enacted Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act, often in partnership with Sanctuary’s Incarcerated Gender Violence Survivor’s Initiative. To date, Mr. McInerney and his teams have succeeded in approximately 15 of these cases, often after having persuaded the prosecutors to join in the applications. Mr. McInerney views these cases, in which he and his teams have had the privilege of greeting their clients as they walk out of prison as a result of the teams’ efforts, as the most moving and meaningful cases of his career.

Lori Evans Bernstein, 2024 Zero Tolerance Honoree

Sanctuary for Families

Every year, at our Zero Tolerance Benefit, Sanctuary for Families honors those who have significantly contributed to the movement to end gender-based violence.

Every year, at our Zero Tolerance Benefit, Sanctuary for Families honors those who have significantly contributed to the movement to end gender-based violence. This year, we are thrilled to present the 2024 Zero Tolerance Award to Lori Evans Bernstein, CEO and Co-Founder at Caraway.

INTRODUCING LORI

Lori Evans Bernstein is the CEO and Co-Founder of Caraway, a healthcare company for Gen Z specializing in mental health and women’s health. Lori is a seasoned healthcare executive with 25+ years of experience in healthcare and health tech as an entrepreneur, operator, and government leader. Most recently, Lori was co-founder and president of HealthReveal, a clinical artificial intelligence (AI) company dedicated to combating chronic disease, acquired by Accolade (ACCD). Previously, Lori was appointed by the Governor of NY to serve as Deputy Commissioner of the New York State Health Department, responsible for setting up a new office on digital health transformation.

Lori writes and speaks regularly on digital health as a national expert and has received several professional honors. Lori holds an M.P.H. from George Washington University and a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University, where she currently serves on the Board of Trustees.

Lori was first introduced to Sanctuary as a guest at our Zero Tolerance Benefit and joined the Board of Directors in 2015. She quickly became a leader on the Board, serving on our Advocacy Committee (six years as chair or co-chair), Program Committee (two years as Chair), Development Committee, and Executive Committee. She has traveled to Albany to join our advocacy efforts, participated in countless Family Council events with her son Jack, and recently engaged her team at Caraway to assemble welcome kits for residents at Sanctuary’s shelter Sarah Burke House. Lori brings her creativity and big-picture thinking to all she does and was instrumental in moving forward two of Sanctuary’s strategic plans. Lori is also an athlete and joined Sanctuary’s marathon team in 2016, running in honor of gender violence survivors.