Baltimore, MD - Jan. 8, 2020 - Maimonides writes that a prophet can experience a flash of light, of radiance, which illuminates his direction. "Light" is often used in the Torah to mean knowledge and wisdom. With the words "Let there be light," the creation of the world emerged. Using the power of the light from her recent celebration of Chanukah, Dalya heads to Annapolis refueled and energized to spread her message.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Eight days of lights and miracles.
As my second session in the Maryland General Assembly begins, and Chanukah, the Holiday of lights and miracles, ends, I look ahead at the next 90 days while reminding myself what is possible when we are doing what is right.
This session, I will be focusing on many pieces of legislation, including school funding, crime, real property, transportation, and family law.
One piece of legislation that is significantly different from what my colleagues and I have worked on recently, is what is known as the Get Bill.
Even one is too many. Even one Agunah, “a woman who cannot remarry because she remains legally bound to her husband” (Artscroll) since he refuses to give her a Get (Jewish divorce) is too many.
An Agunah is a victim of domestic abuse. A victim of a man who has such hate and anger inside of him that he therefore abuses his wife by denying her freedom from him. We as a community fight domestic abuse in the form of physical harm in many ways. This should be no different.
The "Divorce and Annulment - Removal of Barriers to Remarriage" bill, AKA the Get Bill, gives parties to a divorce the opportunity to request an affidavit certifying that all religious barriers to remarriage have been removed. What that means in Get terms, is if a husband does not give his wife a Get, a legal divorce may not be granted. So just like the wife would not be able to fully move on with her life if she has not been given a Get, finally, neither will her husband.
A similar bill was introduced by Senator Lisa Gladden and Delegate Sandy Rosenberg in 2007. This session, the esteemed Senator Cheryl Kagan, a true leader in this battle, will be sponsoring this bill in the Senate while I sponsor it in the House. We have met with Rabbanim from our communities and are fortunate to be entering session sponsoring this bill with their full support and guidance.
The need for such a bill is truly disappointing. However, disappointing or not, there is a need, and I will do everything in my power to ensure this bill becomes law. Approaching this session with lights and miracles in my mind gives me hope that this time we will be successful. This time we will bring some peace to those suffering from this kind of abuse. This time we will achieve our goal of protecting the women of our community.
Another important topic that I would like to address is the horrifying rise in anti-Semitism that we have seen and experienced recently. When will the hatred end? It feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel with one anti-Semitic violent attack after another. Why can’t we just respect each other regardless of religion or race? Will the day ever come, or will history continue to repeat itself over and over again? My thoughts and prayers go out to my brothers and sisters who are victims of such horrid attacks.
There will be legislation this session that punishes those who use swastikas and nooses to intimidate others. This is just one step in the right direction. May we be worthy to see the light at the end of this terrifying tunnel.
And, may this session bring a kiddush Hashem and support for my district, District 41, and the entire State of Maryland.
Delegate Dalya Attar
