Mavoi Satum was one of the first organizations in Israel dedicated exclusively to the plight of agunot and mesuravot get, women denied divorce. Founded in 1995 by a group of volunteer women led by the astounding Leah Ayn Globe, z"l, Mavoi Satum was an all-volunteer organization for many years, and remains a largely volunteer-based  organization working on behalf of agunot.

Over the years, Mavoi Satum has learned from mesuravot get how to provide the most effective program of assistance. As a result of ongoing conversations with women, Mavoi Satum has developed a holistic approach to helping women achieve their freedom by working  in both the rabbinic and state court systems (beit din and beit mishpat) as well as the social services apparatus.  Mavoi Satum is the only organization that offers women an integrated service of complete legal aid, social services and emotional support. , thus helping women gain emotional independence and transform their sense of self while they endure the harrowing process of divorce. By combining all these services, Mavoi Satum provides women with the best chance for achieving for freedom and rebuilding their lives.

Mavoi Satum has realized, however, that helping individual women is not enough. At Mavoi Satum we believe that women should never have to enter a situation of aginut. In fact, the word "agunah" has no translation in other languages because it is a situation unique to Jewish practice. We believe that this is wrong. Mavoi Satum takes a leading role in offering systemic and halakhic solutions to make aginut obsolete. Mavoi Satum has thus created a unique approach of working simultaneously on the micro and the macro – that is, by helping individual women while advocating for broader reform.

In 2008, Mavoi Satum helped dozens of women achieve their freedom, and had the following successes:

√ Gets. Fourteen women received their gets in 2008 thanks to the assistance of Mavoi Satum.
 
√  Direct support. Sixty four women received different forms of social, emotional and legal support during their process of divorce.
 
√  Social services. Thirty-seven women received direct assistance.
 
√  Legal aid. Twenty-five women received legal aid through the Targum Shlishi Legal Aid Fund. This included preliminary and ongoing consultations, legal representation in both the religious and civil courts and in enforcement of claims at the execution office.
 
√  Private investigation. One woman received aid from a private detective to locate a recalcitrant husband, an expensive but often critical element in helping women advance their cases and achieve their get.
 
√  New cases. Twelve new cases were opened by the Mavoi Satum staff.
 
√  Intake. Eighty women received telephone and face to face counseling, some of which were followed by interventions.
 
√  Melavot (ally volunteers). Thirteen women have melavot (trained allies) who assist them through their court proceedings and other emotionally taxing situations.
 

For more information, or for a more detailed report, contact Mavoi Satum at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or +972-26712282.