Beit Din de Baltimore

I would say not even negative, but minor points of discomfort - 1. The get was done in the Rabbi's office, which is small and full of furniture. It was not messy or run down, but it was crowded with all of us in there. It would have been nice to have a space set up with ample room for everyone to sit rather than haphazardly cramming everyone in. 2. The rabbis didn't look up, make eye contact, greet me or introduce themselves when I walked in. Typical yeshivish rabbi behavior and they were very nice when they addressed me, but I would have expected at least the same civil niceties that humans offer at any business meeting or other appointment.

Rabbi Rosenfeld worked for hours for me without pay mediating my divorce to keep us from having to have a hearing beis din (as my ex’s ODD would have made that process hell)

The hesitancy to encourage pressure to my ex and his family, the lack of understanding how painful waiting for a get is

I got my gett. But in the end, it was because my ex was facing jail time and I was in a position to influence which charges were filed.

DO NOT choose binding arbitration under any circumstances!!

If a woman is having trouble receiving her get, she should get help from one of the organizations that help with this. At the very least, she will get some support. Beit Din in the U.S. is pretty powerless, get used to it. You are going to need to be very proactive and perhaps vicious, in order to get what you want. I have been waiting for my gett for 5 years and now I am working with an organization in Israel. They have gotten me further along than I had been, plus they offer emotional support

My husband is friendly with all the members of the Beit Din. They were unwilling to go against him in any way.

I didn’t know bringing or having representation was an option.

Rabbi B was kind, calm and respectful. He outlined the process in a straightforward way (on the phone beforehand) and there were no suprises.

I didn’t feel like there was any support or representation for me

I wish I had known what the Baltimore Bais Din was like because I would have come in with stronger representation instead of just "trusting the rabbis" I wish I knew that I had rights in the divorce process so I could have advocated for myself during it. I wish I had a stronger legal background and a lawyer with understanding of the gett laws going into it, so I could recognize when Bais Din tried to coerce, misinform, pressure me more quickly, I wish I understood how apathetic the rabbinate and Jewish communities in general are towards women in these situations, so I would have been able to adjust my expectations and find solutions more quickly,

Abuse, aiding and abetting the abuser who was clearly recognized by all parties as the abuser, inappropriate advice, victim-blaming, rampant misogyny, I could go on....

Unprofessional in every sense of the word. They do not have an organized infrastructure, guide or known set of rules and expectations for the process. They make it up as they go along. They interpret every situation as they see fit. They are VERY much a male run and male supporting organization.