by David Rosenberg in the Israel National News

Three prominent Orthodox Jewish organizations in the US affirmed their rejection of abortion on demand following last Friday’s landmark decision by the US Supreme Court – but differed sharply in their reactions to the ruling itself.

On Friday, the Court ruled 6-3 in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to back the constitutionality of a Mississippi law restricting most abortions after the first 15 weeks of pregnancy.

A narrower 5-4 majority moved to strike down two controversial, precedent-setting cases, 1973’s Roe v. Wade, and the 1992 case Planned Parenthood v. Casey.

The Dobbs decision, which ends constitutional protections for abortion, opening the door to comprehensive state bans, drew fire from the Reform Movement, which accused the Court of stripping “women and others who can become pregnant of the fundamental right to make essential health care decisions free of governmental interference,” Rabbi Marla Feldman said as part of a joint statement representing the movement. “Abortion access is a critical component of reproductive health care.”

Orthodox Jewish leaders in the US were united in their rejection of abortion on demand, even as the largest Orthodox organization in America gave a nuanced response to Friday’s ruling.

The Coalition for Jewish Values, a group which represents some 2,000 Orthodox rabbis in the US, said it “welcomed” the Dobbs decision.

“Judaism regards all human life as sacred, including when a fetus is yet to be born. Jewish law permits abortion only in truly extraordinary circumstances. This does not describe the situation in America today, where the overwhelming majority of abortions are done as an elective procedure.”

“The dialog needs to change: if everything is a human right, then, in the end, nothing remains worthy of special protection. We must return to a society that cherishes human rights, and human life.”

See the full article in the Israel National News

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