“The Torah of Reproductive Justice” On Reproductive Rights Shabbat

Thank you to Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg for sharing this past Shabbat’s D’var Torah titled, ”The Torah of Reproductive Justice” in honor of Reproductive Rights Shabbat. Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg is an award-winning author and writer who serves as Scholar-in-Residence at the National Council for Jewish Women (NCJW).

Read below for follow-up notes from Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg.

Resources:

• Jews for Abortion Access is the center of the movement- Sign Up to stay in the loop of major things as they’re happening
• Jewish Fund for Abortion Access that fuels both direct support and systemic change
• National Council for Jewish Women

Take Action Now:

• We urge you to join NCJW letter urging Congress to pass the Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance (EACH) ACT (HR 561), which would end the Hyde Amendment- a dangerous and discriminatory abortion coverage ban that disproportionately harms those struggling to make ends meet; Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) communities; young people; people living with disabilities; rural communities; immigrants; and LGBTQ individuals. It would expand abortion access significantly for those most harmed by its bans.

• Lastly, we urge you to sign a witness slip for an important Illinois State House Bill (2463), which would create the Deceptive Practices of Limited Services Pregnancy Centers Act. If signed into law, HB2463 would create a mechanism  for the Illinois Attorney General to bring legal action against anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers for deceiving and misinforming pregnancy clients. Read about the bill in more detail here. On one foot, CPCs lie to pregnant people who seek abortion care, and seek scare, shame, or pressure patients out of accessing abortion care. This bill is especially critical given the large number of people who come to IL now from out of state, seeking care.
  • Need help filling out the witness slip? Follow these instructions:
    •  Section 1: All fields in this section are required *except* for Fax Numer. If you are filling out the form as an individual, type “Self” in the fields for Firm/Business or Agency and Title.
    • Section 2: If you are filling this out as an individual, you can type “Self” or “N/A”. This is where a lot of people get tripped up.
    • Section 3: Select “Proponent” to indicate that you support the bill in question.
    • Section 4: Check the box that says “Record of Appearance Only.” Then, check the box to agree to the ILGA Terms of Agreement. Click the “Create (Slip)” button to complete the process.