A Reform Get 193
It has been the general position of the Central Conference of American Rabbis to follow the stand taken by Kaufmann Kohler who recommended that civil divorces be recognized as long as the grounds for such a divorce were in keeping with the rabbinic tradition(Central Conference of American Rabbis Yearbook, vol. 25 pp. 376 ff.). The matter, however, never came to an official vote within the Conference.
The Orthodox rabbinate of France in 1907 suggested that a civil divorce decree annulled the marriage and the woman would be released and free to marry according to Jewish ritual subsequently. This suggestion, which was attacked by Orthodox authorities throughout the world, is much akin to Reform Jewish practice(A. H. Freiman, Seder Kidushin Venisuin, p. 390).
In 1924 the Orthodox rabbis of Turkey proposed a“conditional marriage” to solve the problems of divorce and a husband’s unwillingness to procure a get. This was subsequently rejected by Ben Zion Uziel of Israel (AM. Freiman, Seder Kidushin Venisuin, pp. 391 ff.).
The mood among both rabbis and members of our congregations has changed, especially as the number of divorces have increased. Some individuals now seek a religious resolution to the end of their marriage. This has led to the creation of the Document of Separation(Seder Peredah). in the new Rabbis Manual. Others have been willing to obtain an Orthodox or Conservative get despite the hardships involved and the secondary status given to the woman in those proceedings.
As we look at the problems connected with a Reform get, let us look at the traditional get. The original requirements connected with it were rather simple, and a divorce was easily obtained. The husband prepared for the divorce by asking a sofer (scribe) to write the document for him and indicated that he wished to divorce his wife. The specific name of the husband and the wife were given in the document; the city in which it was prepared was also indicated. No reason for the divorce was men
tioned in the document itself.; This document was then signed by two adult male Jewish
witnesses who were unrelated to either party or to each other. It
was then given to two other witnesses or perhaps to the same individuals who delivered it to the woman. Upon her acceptance