March 27, 2024 – In response to United States Supreme Court oral arguments on March 26, 2024, in a consequential case that could significantly change access to medication abortion, Jofa reiterates its support for access to reproductive care – in this case, specifically the medication mifepristone, which helps millions of women access the care they […]
February 21, 2024 – In response to the Alabama Supreme Court’s February 16, 2024 ruling declaring frozen embryos to be children, and asserting that the discarding of frozen embryos constitutes the wrongful death of a minor: The Alabama Supreme Court’s February 16 decision, classifying frozen embryos as children, sets a dangerous precedent that violates the
As we near the one year anniversary of the Dobbs decision – which overturned federal constitutional protections of privacy and abortion rights that have stood since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision – I am taking stock of the many experiences that women have shared regarding trying to access medical health care, including abortion access. I’m also reflecting
The discussion of abortion in halakhah begins with the life of the mother. Pikuaḥ nefesh, the obligation to preserve life — in this case, the life of the mother — trumps every other obligation except for three: murder, sexual immorality, and idol worship. Until the head of the fetus or the majority of its body has exited the
What does Halakhah say about abortion? Read More »
The typical pro-choice and anti-abortion positions in debate in American society today do not line up well with halakhic views on abortion. Halakhah never frames the issues in terms of individual choice, nor does halakhah talk in absolutes around the theology of when life begins. Rather, the issues are framed in terms of the value of life —
The politics of abortion Read More »
(JTA) — I have long been a keeper of women’s stories, many of which relate to fertility and reproductive choices, experiences generally shrouded in secrecy. While I am honored to be trusted with these personal accounts, I look forward to, and am working toward, a time when women will be able to speak more freely
Shaming women who have abortions is not a Jewish ethic Read More »
By Michal S. RaucherIndiana University Press, 2020, $24.Reviewed by Roselyn Bell If you are tired of Ḥaredi women being portrayed as oppressed, uneducated, and subservient to their husbands, Michal Raucher’s Conceiving Agency provides a much-needed corrective, reframing our notions of reproductive agency and religious meaning in the ultra-Orthodox community. Using the tools of ethnography and
Conceiving Agency: Reproductive Authority among Haredi Women Read More »
By Michal Raucher When people learn that I have conducted research on reproduction among ḥִaredi (ultra-Orthodox) women in Jerusalem, their first questions usually are: “Do they use birth control?” “Do they get abortions?” and “Will they use fertility treatments?” These questions are understandable. People generally know that haredi women have a high birthrate, even by
How Ḥaredi Women Embody Reproductive Authority Read More »
