Haim Sperber, Western Galilee College, HBI Scholar in Residence 2013, 2015
The Plight of Jewish Deserted Wives, 1851-1900: A Social History of East European Agunah
An agunah is a Jewish woman who cannot remarry because her husband has disappeared. In Jewish law (Halacha), only the husband can grant a divorce writ (Get). The Agunah phenomenon was a major concern in East European Jewry and frequently referenced in Hebrew and Yiddish media and fiction. Most 19th century agunot cases came from Eastern Europe, where most Jews resided. This work identifies seven variations of agunot. It explores the reasons for desertion and the plight of the left-alone wife. It focuses on changes in attitude toward the agunah issue as it shifts from a legal issue to a social one, and explains how that shift was driven by changing attitudes of philanthropy and public opinion. A statistical database of 5400 identified agunot is published simultaneously in a separate companion volume.
Dr. Haim Sperber is Head of the Multi-Cultural Studies Department at the Western Galilee College. He has published widely on the history of the Jewish family, especially the agunot phenomenon; anglo-Jewish philanthropy; women and Immigration; and urbanization and crime in modern Jewish history. The Plight of Jewish Deserted Wives, 1851-1900: A Social History of East European Agunah is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local bookseller. 