[New York, NY, June 27, 2016]
…“Providing a woman with dignity begins with protecting her right to make her own medical and family planning decisions.”
- Rabbi Marla J. Feldman, Executive Director, Women of Reform Judaism
In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling today in Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt, Rabbi Marla J. Feldman, Executive Director of Women of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:
Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), an advocate for women’s health and rights since its founding, is pleased with today’s Supreme Court decision declaring provisions restricting access to legal and safe abortions in Texas as unconstitutional. The ruling is a historic step toward protecting a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions in a safe, legal, and affordable manner.
After today’s decision, our struggle to guarantee that women in all fifty states have the same rights and access to abortion services will continue. Today’s decision builds momentum for a national guarantee that every woman is provided dignity and a legal right to make her own medical and family planning decisions according to her personal beliefs and needs. Unfortunately, many states still have unnecessarily restrictive regulations on the books which limit women’s access to safe and legal services in those locations. While today’s historic ruling is a win for the rights of women in Texas, there is still work to be done so that all women across the United States have the same options.
Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), founded in 1913, is the women’s affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism, the central body of Reform Judaism in North America. WRJ represents tens of thousands of women in hundreds of women’s groups, strengthening the voice of women worldwide and empowering them to create caring communities, nurture congregations, cultivate personal and spiritual growth, and advocate for and promote progressive Jewish values.
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