Frequently Asked Questions
For over 125 years, the National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) has boldly imagined a world where women, children, and families are fully valued and supported. From the beginning, we have been on the front lines of the fight for reproductive health, rights, and justice. Now, in the face of an unprecedented wave of restrictions on access to health care and the continued spread of false narratives concerning this critical issue, it is vital for Jewish leaders to commit to using their voice to teach, write, and speak out about reproductive freedom and our faith values.
Why Jewish clergy?
Rabbis and cantors hold space for communities, provide pastoral care, and are often a trusted resource for congregants. Given that one in four people who can become pregnant will have an abortion by age 45, clergy serve those who have had, are considering, or may ever consider having an abortion; are traumatized by the attacks on their bodily autonomy; and/or are interested in learning more about reproductive health, rights, and justice. Jewish religious leaders educate their communities and make themselves available for the conversations that, undoubtedly, some of their congregants need to have.
This is an opportunity for Jewish clergy to:
Show that your community is loving and welcoming to anyone who has, or may ever, terminate a pregnancy;
Teach about the ways in which our tradition considers the life of the pregnant person paramount and permits the termination of pregnancies; and
Educate about the importance of reproductive health, rights, and justice for everyone.
Why is abortion an issue of Jewish moral concern?
Judaism not only permits abortion, but even requires it when life is at stake. (See the Resources section for more information). And, of course, pikuach nefesh and, more broadly, building a just society are ultimate Jewish concerns. We must not remain idle while barriers to health care place any individual’s health, well-being, autonomy, or economic security at risk.
Safety, justice, freedom, and lives are at stake.
The US has the highest rate of maternal mortality and morbidity among industrialized countries, with African-Americans and American Indian/Alaska Natives three times more likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than white Americans.
Those who lack access to reproductive health care — disproportionately low-income people, people of color, young people, immigrants, and LGBTQ individuals — are more likely to live in poverty and to remain in abusive relationships.
Abortion is safe and safer when performed early. In contrast, unsafe abortions are a leading cause of death worldwide and high rates of unsafe abortions are directly associated with laws restricting access to critical health care.
What’s the difference between reproductive health, reproductive rights, and reproductive justice?
Reproductive health refers to the direct servicing of an individual’s reproductive needs. It includes access to affordable birth control; abortion access; reproductive medical care that is affirming to trans, intersex, non-binary, and gender nonconforming people; access to assisted reproductive services; and pregnancy and prenatal care.
Reproductive rights are the individual legal rights to reproductive health care services with a focus on keeping abortion legal, standardizing sex education, and increasing access to family planning services.
Reproductive justice brings a racial and economic justice framework to the work for reproductive freedom, recognizing and addressing disparities in social, economic, and political power and how this impacts access to reproductive health care. SisterSong: Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective defines reproductive justice as “the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, have children, not have children, and parent the children we have in safe and sustainable communities.” The work for reproductive justice was started and continues to be led by women of color.
You can find more on these different concepts here.
Where does NCJW fit in?
NCJW has long recognized that many factors — including age, race, income, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, and type of insurance — impact a person's access to abortion, contraception, and the full range of reproductive health care. We understand that all facets of a person’s life are interwoven; progress or setbacks in the realm of health, economic security, work-family balance, religious liberty, and so forth will impact other areas of life, ultimately affecting that person’s ability to achieve true autonomy and control over their body and reproductive life. The reproductive justice framework fully embraces this understanding, emphasizing how multiple systems of oppression intersect and influence the exercise of human rights in marginalized communities.
NCJW works as an ally to the reproductive justice movement in solidarity with those most impacted by reproductive oppression: people of color, low-income people, young people, immigrants, and LGBTQ individuals. We strive to mobilize the interfaith community and to elevate Jewish voices to ensure all can make their own moral and faith-informed decisions about their bodies, families, and futures.
What are some best practices for discussing reproductive health, rights, and justice?
As with any complex topic, the language we use when discussing reproductive health, rights, and justice issues matters. For instance, although many focus on women when talking about these issues, it is important to recognize that anyone capable of becoming pregnant — including many (but not all) women; many transgender men, nonbinary, intersex, and gender nonconforming people; and others in the LGBTQ community — need access to the full range of reproductive health care. One way to be more accurate and inclusive is to use gender-neutral language (i.e. “people,” “pregnant individuals,” or “patients” rather than “women”). You can find additional guidance on addressing false narratives, rhetoric, and complex topics related to reproductive health, rights, and justice on pages 24-29 of the Abortion and Jewish Values Toolkit).
Why take the pledge?
Reproductive health care is under a sustained and coordinated attack. State lawmakers introduced a staggering 304 abortion restrictions in the first three months of 2019 alone, escalating attacks that have produced over 450 laws constraining access to reproductive health care since 2011. As people across the country are routinely denied basic health services and the national dialogue surrounding this pivotal issue has amplified, we need Jewish moral leaders to fight against attacks on bodily autonomy and to speak out on behalf of people of faith who support reproductive health, rights, and justice because of their religion, not in spite of it. Join us to change the conversation about religion and reproductive rights, to educate our communities about Jewish values and reproductive rights, and to welcome those who have had, are considering, or may ever consider having an abortion.