New book reveals how rabbis freed widows, whose husbands were killed on Sept. 11, to remarry

A new book, "Kanfei Yonah" Volume II, by Rabbi Yona Reiss, details how rabbinic courts, including the Beth Din of America, addressed the complex cases of agunot (women unable to remarry) whose husbands were killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Rabbi Reiss, then director of the Beth Din of America, oversaw 10 such cases, with four others handled by different courts. The book explores the halachic (Jewish law) considerations involved, particularly regarding the reliance on DNA identification for confirming deaths when remains were unidentifiable. Reiss consulted with scientists and rabbis to establish that a margin of error less than one in 1,000 for DNA identification, combined with strong circumstantial evidence, satisfied the halachic threshold for determining death. The book also recounts specific cases, including those involving pregnant widows and the performance of chalitza (a ritual to release a widow from marrying her brother-in-law) by young relatives, highlighting the emotional and legal challenges faced by these families. Reiss noted the parallels between the 9/11 cases and the aftermath of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks in Israel, where similar identification challenges arose. He emphasized that "Everything comes to an end. There’s always a transition point," and that Jewish law provided a framework for widows to process their loss and eventually move on.