Clapton Common Demo held to protest Stamford Hill man allegedly refusing to provide Get
Kedassiah Beth Din backs GettOutUK action highlighting the case of Chaim Yeshaye Hochhauser, who has allegedly held up his civil divorce by refusing to sign legal papers
Jenni Frazer is a freelance journalist
In an unusual move, the Kedassiah Beth Din backed a demonstration organised by women from the GettOutUK group against a Stamford Hill man who has consistently refused to offer his wife a get.
Chaim Yeshaye Hochhauser and Leah Hochhauser were married for 23 years before separating eight years ago. But Mr Hochhauser has been called to the Beth Din five times and refused to appear, according to the Beth Din. He has also, allegedly, refused to sign papers which have held up the couple’s civil divorce.
Mrs Hochhauser is understood to be in poor health and did not join the small demonstration on Clapton Common on Wednesday morning.
But the demonstrators, waving banners, were addressed by the Orthodox feminist Shoshanna Keats-Jaskoll, who had spoken the previous day — International Women’s Day — at a large and well-attended gathering in Belgravia held by GettOutUK.
Rifka Meyer, who founded GettOutUK after waiting years for her own get, said: “Ours was a small demonstration, but many people from the community who know Mr Hochhauser came over to us and had no idea that he was withholding a get. Kedassiah gave our demonstration their blessing and encouraged us.”
The Hochhausers, who have been living apart for eight years, have six children.
Ms Meyer said: “She is not a young woman but she does not want to live the rest of her life chained to her husband, or be obliged to sit shiva for him if he dies before her. Chaim Hochhauser has refused to appear before the Kedassiah Beth Din five times: there was no choice but to make this public”.
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