Response to the Supreme Court's Decision to Strike Down Roe V Wade
But, moving on from that grammatically ambiguous statement, as a rabbi in the Conservative/Masorti movement of Judaism, I cannot officiate at every marriage. If someone comes to me for advice on reproductive issues, the answer isn't going to be an immediate 'yes' or 'no' until I understand the situation and look to Jewish law for the answer. But what I will do is stand with and help those who want or need access to reproductive care. I will stand with our households, especially those who identify as LGBTQIA+ as they navigate a fraught future where their rights may be taken away. I will also officiate at their marriages to bring them under the huppah.
Our tradition has a rich history of sources and debate about abortion, fertility treatments, contraception, etc. that doesn't stop at 'life begins at conception and 'contraception is forbidden, period.' We come to conclusions based on source texts, realities on the ground, and rigorous debate. It is often times nuanced with a great deal of compromise; then again, so is life. But another point: we live in a country with the freedom to exercise our religion or no religion at all. Therefore, a total ban on abortion and/or extreme restrictions on abortion in this country would not allow my people to practice their faith, therefore, I have to do what I can to ensure that they can, but it's not just about us. I'm also an American citizen, an additional covenant that I'm a part of, and I have to think about those who do not conform to my religious view and act accordingly so they can live in freedom. I can't put my message into a meme, sorry, and I can't post this meme with no exceptions, even though I wish I could agree with it 100%, because I think words matter; they create realities. Life isn't as simple as a meme or one-sentence statement. It's nuanced, it's complicated, it's messy.
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