According to the Bible, divorce is accomplished through specific acts of the husband. But the Mishnah [an early rabbinic legal code] does provide that a wife was permitted, under certain circumstances, to request that a Jewish court compel the husband to perform the acts required for a divorce.
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Rituals
Brush up on the basics of Jewish divorce.
The get is the bill of divorce that the husband gives to the wife to release her from the marriage.
The author created a ritual to exorcise the pain she experienced when she was required to receive her get with utter passivity.
Halitzah is the ritual that releases a childless widow from levirate marriage, wherein her brother-in-law must marry her to give her a child in his brother's name.
Writing and delivering the get (bill of divorce) is a complicated process requiring experts in Jewish divorce law.
Contemporary Issues
Power dynamics and the agunah issue are the biggest struggles in Jewish divorce today.
Divorce is meant to take care of the wife. But occasionally, a husband will manipulate the system.
The liberal movements who have held that a civil divorce constitutes a get, or Jewish divorce, are finding that on an emotional, religious level, it's just not enough.
Under certain circumstances a woman may request that a Jewish court compel the husband to perform the acts required for a Jewish divorce.
Rarely do we see as clearly the tension between traditional Jewish practices and secular values as in the issue of annulment.
History
On the history and development of Jewish divorce proceedings.
Biblical divorce law provided some protection for women by setting limits on a man's absolute power to divorce.
Over time the rabbis increased the wife's power in a marriage, yet maintained the absolute right of the husband to grant a divorce.
In addition to the traditional get (bill of divorce) granted by the husband, Reconstructionism offers a woman-initiated get and a mutual get.
This book by Perry Netter is a practical guide to Judaism's take on divorce, and how you can best move forward.
Personal Perspectives
A young American mother in Israel divorces her husband but decides the kibbutz is the best place for her kids.
The Havdalah ceremony takes on new meaning for parents with joint custody.
A new mom finds love, a new husband, and a stepdad for her kids.
A divorced mom answers the questions she wishes people would stop asking her.
One camp may have walked on uncharted turf as they performed what was likely the first mock divorce in Jewish summer camp history.