In a heroic cross-continental operation, a missing Jew was found in a wartorn country and brought across the border in order to grant his wife a get.

The story began in Israel with a marriage between two Israeli-Ethiopians. About eight years ago, the husband suddenly disappeared, leaving his wife an agunah. The wife opened a file in the Beis Din in Tel Aviv and the case was transferred to the Ethiopian Immigrant Department.

Efforts were first made in Ethiopia and via intelligence and diplomatic means, it was discovered that the husband may have immigrated to Canada. However, extensive efforts in Canada yielded no results. One of the department’s dayanim, Rav Alon Negusa, eventually hypothesized that the husband may have crossed the border into Sudan, where fierce armed conflicts are taking place. Secret efforts were made via officials from Israeli security services and foreign affairs and eventually, the hypothesis was proven true – the husband was in Sudan.

Despite the raging battles, emissaries working on behalf of the Beis Din and the Israeli government succeeded in locating the husband in Sudan and convincing him that if he would grant a get to his wife, they would ensure his safety if he took the first step of returning to Ethiopia, where he apparently had become embroiled in legal problems. The man agreed and crossed the border.

The Ethiopian government claimed that the husband had resided illegally in their country for seven years and therefore must pay a sum of two dollars per day. Senior officials in the Foreign Ministry, the Israeli consulate in Ethiopia, and the Jewish Agency swung into action. After many efforts, a solution was found to solve the husband’s legal issues and guarantee his return to Israel – on the condition that he grant his wife a get while still on Ethiopian soil.

The husband agreed and this week, the Rosh Av Beis Din of Tel Aviv, HaRav Zevadia Cohen, cut his vacation short in order to summon the wife to the Beis Din in Tel Aviv and carry out the get process via teleconference. The wife was finally released from her aginus.

“The Agunot Division proves time and time again that the Batei Din will take every measure, no matter how long and dangerous, in order to free a woman from her aginus,” said HaRav Eli Ben-Dahan, the administrator of the Tel Aviv Batei Din.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)