On June 29th, the US Supreme Court voted in favor of protecting abortion access when it ruled against an attempt by the state of Louisiana to prevent doctors from providing abortion unless they had admitting privileges at hospitals within in 30 miles of where they treated patients. (For more on this case, known as June v. Medical, check out this piece.)  The SCOTUS decision allowed pro choice activists to exhale with relief for a moment, but only a moment. In the same week as the June v. Medical decision was announced, anti-abortion restrictions moved forward in four US states. 

The National Council on Jewish Women has been the most vocal (and often the only) Jewish organization speaking out on abortion access, and the day after the June verdict, NCJW’s Chief Executive Officer, Sheila Katz, announced the launch of Rabbis for Repro, an initiative calling for rabbis and Jewish educators to use their platforms to call for reproductive rights via writing, teaching, and speaking out. In doing so, Jewish leaders will not only galvanize communities, but contribute to knocking down abortion stigma, or negative or wrong ideas about abortion that are perpetuated by media and anti-choice sources. In addition, leaders talking about the essential nature of reproductive rights from their (virtual) bimas will magnify the threat to the separation of church and state posed by the anti-choice agenda. 

Rabbis and other Jewish communal leaders can sign the pledge to amplify reproductive rights here, and you can also see the list of those who have already signed it. Is your rabbi on it? If not, ask them why.