FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Howie Beigelman

March 16, 2007 212-613-8123

UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS “PROFOUNDLY DISAPPOINTED” IN FAILURE OF MARYLAND GET BILL

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization, is profoundly disappointed in failure of the Maryland Senate to pass the get bill. After a 10-1 committee vote in favor of the bill and an earlier 35-10 vote in the full Senate, it failed in a 22-22 vote earlier today.

Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, UOJCA Executive Vice President stated:

“We are profoundly disappointed by the Get bill’s failure. Fully consistent with constitutional requirements, this bill’s passage would have delivered a powerful message to unscrupulous spouses. Sadly, the message sent today is precisely the wrong one.”

The OU joined a diverse coalition in pushing for the bill, including women’s groups, domestic violence prevention advocates, the organized Jewish community, including the Baltimore Jewish Council and the JCRC of Greater Washington, as well as the broad spectrum of Orthodox leaders, including Agudath Israel of America, a unanimous Baltimore Vaad HaRabbonim, the Rabbinical Council of Greater Washington and others.

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