A rare and historic chalitzah ceremony was held this week under the auspices of the Bais Din of the Machzikei Hadas community in Antwerp, Belgium, drawing rabbanim, talmidei chachamim, and hundreds of local residents who gathered to witness the uncommon event.

The ceremony marked the first chalitzah conducted in Antwerp in nearly four decades. The previous ceremony took place approximately 40 years ago at the Moriah bais medrash, where it was presided over by Rav Dovid Moshe Lieberman, zt”l, Av Bais Din of Shomrei Hadas.

The current ceremony was held in a large hall to accommodate the hundreds of Torah scholars and members of the community in attendance. Among those present were Antwerp’s chief rabbi, Rav Aharon Schiff; the dayanim Rav Amram Hennig, Rav Zeikel Pollak, and Rav Eliezer Shimon Eckstein; and the witnesses, Rav Asher Sternbuch and Rav Shalom Grinfeld.

At the request of Rav Aharon Schiff, the city’s Av Bais Din, Rav Aharon Dovid Donner, Raavad of London, traveled especially to Antwerp to preside over and conduct the chalitzah ceremony. According to halachah, one who has never personally conducted a chalitzah should not oversee the procedure lechatchilah.

The day before the ceremony, members of the Bais Din, following longstanding halachic tradition, visited the site to determine the precise location where the ceremony would take place. Rav Donner arrived accompanied by his close associate, Rabbi Strah, from England, along with Rav Elimelech Schwartz of Tshaba.

At the appointed hour, the assembled crowd gathered for the solemn occasion. A palpable sense of awe filled the room as the Bais Din distributed special booklets containing the Seder Hachalitzah of the Maharam, a disciple of the Rema, to all those in attendance.

Preparations for the ceremony required extensive planning and careful attention to detail. Rav Donner, who has previously presided over several chalitzah ceremonies, brought with him from England, together with Rav Elimelech Schwartz, the specially crafted leather chalitzah shoe prepared in accordance with all the requirements of halachah.

In keeping with Jewish law, the dayanim fitted the special shoe onto the foot of the yavam, an avreich who had traveled from France. The widow then removed the shoe, recited the prescribed Yehi Ratzon prayer, and spat onto the ground before him, as required by the Torah. The entire congregation then proclaimed three times in a loud voice: “Chalutz hana’al! Chalutz hana’al! Chalutz hana’al!” (“The one whose shoe has been removed!”)

At the conclusion of the moving ceremony, those in attendance quietly offered a heartfelt prayer: “Yehi ratzon that no daughters of Israel should ever again require either chalitzah or yibum. Amein.”