by Mary Julia Koch in The NY Sun
Religious worship and abortion advocacy do not typically go hand in hand, yet in the wake of the Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade some Jewish leaders are launching a crusade against abortion bans in the name of religious liberty.
Rabbi Barry Silver of Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor in Palm Beach County is suing Florida over its new law banning abortions after 15 weeks, except when the mother’s life is in danger. He contends that the law, which took effect July 1, infringes upon religious liberty and privacy rights protected in the Florida constitution.
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Other rabbis, however, interpret the Torah’s definition of threats to maternal health more narrowly. Sacred Jewish texts do not support unfettered access to abortion, the managing director of a group that advocates for traditional Jewish ideas, the Coalition for Jewish Values, argued. According to this view, Rabbi Yaakov Menken said, laws banning abortion except to save the life of the mother align with Jewish principles.
Rabbi Menken sees Rabbi Silver’s campaign as an exploitation of religion to achieve progressive political goals. “You can’t claim the First Amendment supports your ability to do whatever it is you wish to do,” Rabbi Menken said.
See the full article in The NY Sun