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The Ante Nuptial Agreement

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For decades, Jewish couples have faced a troubling paradox: the same religious laws meant to protect marriage can enable spousal abuse through withheld religious divorce (get). The Ante-Nuptial Agreement, adopted by the Conservative movement's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, emerged as a potential solution - but would couples accept discussing divorce before their wedding day? Seven years of implementation data across 130 marriages reveals remarkably high acceptance rates, with only two couples declining to sign. Through structured premarital interviews and careful Beth Din witnessing protocols, couples voluntarily participated in the agreement process. Notably, one documented case demonstrated the agreement's effectiveness when it enabled remarriage through annulment after a husband refused to grant a get. Despite initial concerns raised by Rabbi Simon Greenberg about psychological repugnance, only one case showed such hesitation. The empirical evidence, drawn from Rabbi Aaron Landes' direct experience from 1968 onwards, indicates that proper presentation during premarital counseling effectively addresses unspoken anxieties while providing crucial protections against the weaponization of religious divorce. These findings strongly support the continued integration of ante-nuptial agreements into Conservative Jewish practice.

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    Published 1972

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  • Publication Credits

    Aaron Landes