Women's Rights
By Ally Karpel, 1/06/2020
Growing up in Texas, the summer of 2013 was a monumental time to be inspired by the power of women’s voices. A high school student at the time, I remember eagerly following along that June as State Senator Wendy Davis stood firm in her iconic pink running shoes as she filibustered a highly-restrictive abortion bill for 11 hours straight. The bill sought to impose some of the harshest targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws in the country, including a requirement that abortion clinics meet the same standards that hospital-style surgical centers do, and a mandate that... Read More
By Ally Karpel, 12/03/2019
In the spring of 2019, an alarming surge in anti-abortion legislation took place in state legislatures across the U.S. Nine states enacted gestational age bans on abortion, many as early as 6 weeks -- before most individuals even know they are pregnant. Fortunately, all bans have been blocked by federal judges from taking effect for the time being. Four states adopted legislation that would ban abortion immediately in the event that the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade, joining eight other states that already had so-called “... Read More
By Katie Wysong, 10/30/2019
Thirty years ago, Congress first officially designated October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic and sexual violence cut across lines of class, race, nationality, gender identity, and sexual orientation - and the Jewish community is not immune. We care about the issue of domestic violence not only because it effects our community, but also because our tradition teaches us to. Domestic violence violates the Jewish belief in kavod ha’briyot, the fundamental dignity of every individual, and is an abhorrent violation of the sanctity and wholeness of the body and health... Read More
By Ellen Olshansky, 7/25/2019
It is ironic that a famous cigarette commercial directed toward women decades ago touted “We’ve come a long way, baby” as it became “more acceptable” for women to smoke cigarettes! The meaning was that women were now independent and could make their own choices to smoke if that’s what they wanted. Is that really coming a long way? I think not; instead it was a pitch to encourage women to smoke. And so I pose the question: Have we truly come a long way? Why are we still questioning whether women should be able to make their own decisions about their own bodies despite the fact that they can... Read More
By Sharon Sobel , 6/06/2019
The outstanding success of last month’s inaugural Women of Reform Social Justice Conference (SJC) can be measured in myriad ways: the intriguing workshops, elegant Shabbat services, networking with friends, YES fundraising, and engaging plenaries. Appropriately, and in keeping with the theme of tikkun olam, the attendees were not given program books and a dozen flyers at registration but were asked to upload all conference materials to an app. Throughout SJC and continuing through the Religious Action Center’s Consultation on Conscience that followed, we received reminders about places to go... Read More
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