Agunah

Hasidic woman whose ordeal inspired Orthodox ‘sex strike’ finally gets her Jewish divorce

After years of waiting, Malky Berkowitz, 29, is free to remarry.

Agunah protest in Kiryas Joel, organized by Adina Sash. Credit Adina Sash

Sep 12, 2024 8:55 PM

Updated: 

Malky Berkowitz, the Hasidic woman whose ordeal inspired an Orthodox “sex strike” earlier this year, has finally received her Jewish divorce, Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported on Wednesday.

Under Orthodox interpretations of Jewish law, only men can initiate divorce in a marriage, meaning that a woman who wants a divorce can be powerless. If they are still officially married, women are prevented from remarrying. That’s what happened to Malky: Prior to Wednesday, she was an “agunah,” a woman chained to a Jewish marriage to her husband, Volvy Berkowitz.

Malky claimed Volvy was mentally ill and abusive: according to New York Magazine, Malky accused Volvy in court of physical assault and of inappropriate behavior toward their 3-year-old daughter: Malky says her ex told the toddler not to sit on his lap, lest he get an erection.

Agunah activist Adina Sash, known on Instagram as @FlatbushGirl, took up Malky’s cause. In February, she held a protest in the heart of Kiryas Joel, a Hasidic enclave in Orange County. At the time, Sash told Shtetl that Hasidic men there threw eggs at her and other protesters.

Shortly after the Kiryas Joel protest, Sash launched a sex strike, in which she withheld sex from her husband and urged other Orthodox women to do the same in an attempt to pressure the men to in turn pressure Volvy to grant Malky the divorce. The strike focused on Friday night, or “mitzvah night,” a time when Judaism especially encourages having sex. It’s unclear how many women actually participated in the strike.

Six months later, Sash — whose resume highlights also include helping secure a get for the ex-wife of New York City Councilmember Kalman Yeger — says she is not sure if her and her peers’ advocacy is what led the ex-husband to finally give the get.

Still, Sash is making the most of the win. On Instagram on Thursday, Sash said she had a “magnificent” flower arrangement delivered to Volvy’s parents’ house. Her celebrations don’t stop there. 

“I got a spray tan so I can have an amazing mitzvah night with my husband,” the Orthodox activist told JTA.