Agunot in the Ashkenazi Realm, 1648-1850

Hosted by the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, this program features a discussion of “The Marital Knot: Agunot in the Ashkenazi Realm, 1648–1850” by Noa Shashar. The book explores how early modern rabbinic authorities approached the plight of agunot—women unable to obtain a religious divorce—and sheds light on Jewish family life, legal rulings, and gender dynamics of the time. Shashar reexamines halakhic decisions and offers new insights into the roles of both women and rabbis in these complex cases.