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TagsBY ALICIA CRUZ
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
The FBI has charged a New Jersey rabbi and his wife with the kidnapping and ruthless beating of an Israeli man who refused to grant his wife a religious divorce.
According to the criminal complaint, Yisrael Meir Briskman and his wife were locked in a five-year battle with Briskman refusing to grant his wife a sefer k'ritut or a "get." Under traditional Jewish marital law, the Talmud dictates that only the husband can initiate a "get." In the Briskman's case, the wife wanted the "get," but her husband refused because he wanted custody of their son.
Eventually, Jerusalem's High Rabbinical Court stepped in and issued an order instructing observant Jews to shun Briskman until he agreed to the divorce, and published word of the shunning in local newspapers. At that point, Briskman left Israel for the United States.
According to the Courier-Post, Briskman was allegedly lured to Lakewood home of Rabbi Wax two years later on October 16, 2010 under the guise of discussing a book Wax was writing. Once there, Briskman was threatened and brutally beaten until he agreed to grant his wife a "get."
After the beating, Wax called a cab to take him and the Briskman to an ATM. While in the taxi, Wax allegedly telephoned the victim's father in Israel ordering him to pay $100,000 to Mrs. Briskman or him and his son would be killed, a release from U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman stated.Later, Judy Wax, 47, allegedly drove Briskman to Brooklyn, New York and dropped him off. He then sought medical treatment for a broken nose, black eyes and several cuts to his head, the Daily Mail reported.
The Ocean County couple surrendered to the FBI on Monday, and later appeared in federal court before each posted a $500,000 bond. The kidnapping count with which the Rabbi and Mrs. Wax are charged carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The threatening communications count with which David Wax, 49, is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
