Our Mission
The Beth Din of America has been
recognized as one of the nation's pre-eminent rabbinic courts for nearly four decades. It
serves the Jewish community in the United States as a forum for obtaining Jewish divorces,
confirming personal status, and adjudicating commercial disputes stemming from divorce,
business and community issues.
Firmly anchored in the principles of halakha (Jewish law), the Beth Din has earned a
reputation for conducting its affairs with competence, integrity and fairness.
It provides a modern forum that interfaces effectively with contemporary society in a professional,
efficient and user-friendly manner. The Beth
Din has thereby earned the confidence of Jews across the ideological spectrum.
Background &
Affiliations
Since its inception in 1960, the Beth
Din of America has focused primarily on areas of family law, Jewish divorce and personal
status. With its recent reconstitution through the efforts of the Orthodox Caucus, the
Beth Din broadened its scope to include adjudication of financial disputes. The Beth Din
was founded by and is affiliated with the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) and is
sponsored by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.
Principals
Rabbi Gedalia Schwartz, AV BETH
DIN. Rabbi Schwartz has served the Beth Din of America for more than 20 years - as both
dayan and Av Beth Din. He is also Av -Beth Din of the Chicago Rabbinical Council and
chairs the RCA Halakhic Commission.
Rabbi Mordechai Willig, SEGAN AV BETH DIN. Rabbi Willig is a noted rosh
yeshiva at Yeshiva University's affiliated Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary
(RIETS). He is also a community rabbi and posek with recognized expertise in beth din
proceedings.
Rabbi Michael Broyde, CHAVER BETH
DIN. Rabbi Broyde is a legal scholar, attorney, professor of law, author and seasoned
dayan. He is a Yadin Yadin Musmakh of RIETS and a graduate of the New York University
School of Law.
Rabbi
Jonathan (Yona) Reiss, DIRECTOR, Rabbi Reiss is a musmakh of RIETS and an
attorney who was an associate for six years at the international law firm of Cleary,
Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. He is a graduate of Yale Law School, where he served
as senior editor of the Yale Law Journal.
Sheldon Rudoff, PRESIDENT. Mr.
Rudoff is a senior partner of the New York law firm of Goodkind Labaton Rudoff &
Sucharow. He is immediate past president of the Orthodox Union and a RIETS musmakh. He
oversees the newly reconstituted Beth Din Board of Directors comprised of 12 rabbis and 18
laypersons.
© Copyright
1999 All Rights Reserved
The Beth Din of America
Tel: (212) 807-9042 Fax: (212) 807-9183
Send mail to menahel@bethdin.org