The directorate of Israel’s Chief Rabbinate Batei Din on Tuesday released data from 2018, including divorces in chareidi cities.

Documents state that the number of couples divorced in 2018 stands at 11,145, as compared to 10,661 in the year 2017, a 5% increase. In addition, 4,102 divorce cases were opened in 2018, and 8,626 cases were opened for couples seeking to have their divorce agreement approved.

There were 7,857 cases asking the beis din for shalom bayis, and 3000 cases demanding alimony, 1500 seeking property division and 2000 regarding custody and arrangements regarding children.

As for the breakdown by city: In Jerusalem, 733 couples divorced – a decrease of 7% compared to last year. In Tel Aviv, there is an increase of 16% in the number of divorcing couples in 2018: 750 couples, although the Tel Aviv population is significantly smaller than that of Jerusalem.

In Bnei Brak, 181 couples divorced, compared with 2017 in which there were 151 cases – a 20% increase. In Elad there were 61 – a rise of 30% compared to 2017, in which only 47 couples divorced.

The chareidi cities, which show a decline in the percentage of divorces in 2018, are Modi’in Illit (35 couples compared with 44 in the previous year), and in Betar Illit (31 divorces compared with 61 in the previous year, a decrease of 49 percent).

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)