DECLARATION OF CONTEMPT
(translation from original)On the 26th of Sivan 5771 the Beth Din of the Union of Orthodox Rabbis of the United States and Canada issued a "Final Warning" to Mr. Aharon Friedman wherein the history of the matter between him and his wife Tamar Epstein was summarized and particular reference was made to his continued and repeated refusal to give her a get in accordance with Jewish law. He was requested to appear before the Beth Din for a final adjudication on the matter of his refusal as well as other matters but he refused to even respond to their request
Several Gedolei Yisroel have spoken to him about this matter and he has previously received subpoenas to a Beth Din, letters, and other requests both formal and informal but to the dismay of the Beth Din he has ignored them all and turned a deaf ear to their pleas.
The Beth Din is therefore left with no other alternative but to declare him in "Contempt of Beth Din" and to regard him as "One who does not heed Jewish law" - as such status is described in Shulchan Aruch etc.
Any person who has the ability or opportunity to influence him to free Tamar Epstein from the chains of her agunah status is obligated to do so and doing so will indeed be the fulfillment of a great mitzvah. Tamar Epstein is hereby granted permission to take whatever appropriate steps are necessary to extricate herself from the chains of this agunah status.
Accordingly we have affixed our signatures this 9thday of Elul 5771
s/ Rabbi Aryeh Ralbag
s/ Rabbi Yisroel Belsky
s/ Rabbi Mordechai Wolmark
s/ Rabbi Gavriel Stern
s/ Rabbi Shmuel Kamenetsky
The words of the revered rabbis, signatories above, do not need any further endorsement, and certainly the entire community should urge the husband to give his wife a Jewish divorce.
s/ Rabbi Hershel Schachter
