Husband witholds divorce from wife for 15 years
Andrew Brightwell
A HAMPSTEAD Garden Suburb man stands accused of unreasonably withholding a divorce from his wife by the Beth Din, the Jewish Court.
Nick Lowenstein, who lives in Kingsley Way, separated and divorced under civil law from his wife 15 years ago.
But Mr Lowenstein has so far refused to grant his wife Bryna, now living in New York, a get, which is a Jewish divorce.
Under Jewish law, a couple remain married until such time as a get is given by the husband to the wife.
An advert that appeared in a Jewish newspaper last week, said: "In the view of the London Beth Din, Mr Nick Lowenstein of 82 Kingsley Way N2, is unreasonably withholding a get from his wife, from whom he has been separated and civilly divorced for 15 years.
"We have instructed Mr Lowenstein that he should give a get to his wife, but he unreasonably refuses to do so."
Mr Lowenstein's wife, who is in her 40s, took the couple's son, now 18, to live in America and has been seeking an official get for 15 years.
Rabbi Pini Dunner, the former minister of the Saatchi Synagogue, also took out an advert in the Jewish Chronicle to highlight the case five years ago.
He said: "The man and woman were involved in a most dreadful divorce.
"It is in his gift to give a get and if he doesn't, she remains married to him until he dies.
"The situation is that he is obstinate.
"She wakes up every day married to a man she hates, who hates her and there is nothing she can do about it."
The case comes three years after campaigners protested outside the Golders Green home of Errol Israel Elias who had denied his wife a religious divorce for more than 40 years.
Gloria Proops, co-founder of the Agunot Campaign, which works on behalf of chained women, said: "The whole thing is terrible.
"I have tried very, very hard with Mr Lowenstein but I cannot justify his actions.
"He is a very hard nut and it will be difficult to crack him."
The Divorce Act in the UK cannot enforce changes to Jewish law.
In Israel, husbands who refuse to grant a get face sanctions including imprisonment and cannot get driving licences.
Mr Lowenstein refused to elaborate on the story and said: "I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to comment.
"There is nothing to discuss there is no comment from the family at all."
andrew.brightwell@hamhigh.co.uk