Israeli citizens do not have the luxury of considering the issue of agunot a "religious" or "arcane" problem. All Israelis are required to marry and divorce within a religious framework, so that even the most secular Jew is affected.

Unfortunately, despite the hard work of various organizations, there has not been a marked improvement in the status of agunot. Rabbis still do not pursue solutions that are possible within halakha, and dayanim (religious judges) continue to claim that the problem is not widespread. The number of agunot is a highly contested issue, with the rabbinate in this country claiming only several hundred in a given year, while some women's organi[b]...

Israeli citizens do not have the luxury of considering the issue of agunot a "religious" or "arcane" problem. All Israelis are required to marry and divorce within a religious framework, so that even the most secular Jew is affected.

Unfortunately, despite the hard work of various organizations, there has not been a marked improvement in the status of agunot. Rabbis still do not pursue solutions that are possible within halakha, and dayanim (religious judges) continue to claim that the problem is not widespread. The number of agunot is a highly contested issue, with the rabbinate in this country claiming only several hundred in a given year, while some women's organizations claim several thousand.

While this is disheartening, there is one means for sidestepping the problem that has been recognized by the majority of rabbinic and legal authorities - the signing of a halakhic prenuptial agreement. This preventive measure, taken by both bride and groom, threatens either party with serious monetary consequences if he or she refuses to grant or to receive a get in the event of the marriage's breakdown. Although this does not provide an answer for women who are currently agunot, it can prevent the problem before it arises.

The "prenup" has been embraced by rabbinical authorities in the United States. In fact, the Rabbinical Council of America, the centrist organization of Orthodox rabbis in North America, insists that none of its members officiate at a wedding unless a proper prenuptial agreement has been signed. Some American rabbis even require couples to state publicly under the huppah that a prenup has been signed.