One of the most important functions of the Melava is to accompany the agunah to the Beit Din. For any woman, particularly an agunah, the experience of going to the Beit Din is often difficult, depressing, demeaning and disheartening. Agunot thank us profusely for this service. They feel that having a friend with them during this trial gives them the strength indeed, the power to stand up for themselves when they must. At least four times a year, Mevo Satum trains small groups of new Melavot.
Women leave the training night with insight, practice, and a support network.
She is also provided with a resource manual that includes phone listings, background reading, and organizational information. When a woman feels she is ready, we pair her up with an agunah, and the relationship gets started. From our experience, not only is the Melavot program of utmost importance towards the empowerment of agunot, but it also empowers volunteers. They hear first hand from an agunah, they identify with her, they establish close personal connections true friendships and they become irreversibly dedicated to the cause of helping agunot. Volunteers have reported that they did not expect to become so attached, and have also reported shock and horror at what is actually happening to women in Israel women who, ultimately, are not too different from them.