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tual element of the rescue
process. Rescuers are asked
to wear "Jesus Saves"
sandwich boards as identifi-
cation. Mrs. Mills, who com-
pares saving human fetuses
to Moses' mother saving him
from the edict of the Egyp-
tian Pharoah, talks hopeful-
ly of silent prayer in public
schools and even favors the
establishment of Christian
America.
"I don't think God can
bless a country that sanc-
tions child-killing," she said.

It is precisely this ethic
that disturbs many Jews.
"My problem is imposing a
defined morality on another
group," said Rabbi Eliezer
Cohen of Young Israel of
Oak-Woods. Rabbi Cohen is
personally opposed to abor-
tion, but said he could not
force his opinion on others.
"That's why I am in prin-
ciple against the (anti-
abortion movement)," he
said. "I am a firm believer in
the free will of the in-
dividual." El

NCJW Members To Aid
Abortion Patients

AMY J. MEHLER

Staff Writer

M

embers of National
Council of Jewish
Women in Detroit
are learning how to
counteract pro-life demon-
strations like those staged
by Operation Rescue at wo-
men's abortion clinics in
Wichita, Kan.
Linda Lutz and Linda
Kretchmer, members of NC-
JW's Hakol Chapter, trained
last week at Southfield's
Michigan Abortion Rights
Action League (MARAL) to
become patient escorts, vol-
unteers who stand by pa-
tients until they can be ac-
companied into clinics dur-
ing anti-abortion demon-
strations.
Through demonstrations
and role-playing, men and
women learn how to bypass
a blockade and support pa-
tients by forming protective,
human rings.
"They tell you to offer ver-
bal support to the patient
and only touch the patient if
she gives permission," said
Ms. Kretchmer, 26. "We're
supposed to focus on the pa-
tient's needs and ignore the
video cameras and anti-
choice protestors."
Ms. Kretchmer said Hakol
plans to send a member each
month to volunteer at
MARAL, answering phones
and questions or helping run
meetings.
"I'm encouraged by the
number of Jewish women
who are pro-choice on the
issue of abortion," said Mrs.
Lutz, 28, of Southfield. "It
was one of the reasons I
became a member of NCJW.
There's a tremendous well-
spring of support behind
you."
A recent NCJW internal
survey found nearly two-
thirds of new members join-
ed NCJW because of its pro-

choice stand. There are
100,000 NCJW members in
the United States, 3,000 in
Michigan.
Since 1989, NCJW has run
a pro-choice campaign in an-
ticipation of Webster v. Re-
productive Health Service,
the Supreme Court case
which paved the way for
state regulation and restric-
tion of abortion.
In 1983, NCJW introduced
IMPACT, a program of ad-
vocacy and direct local ser-
vices aimed at protecting
women's rights to decide
whether and when to bear a
child. NCJW has a post-
Webster campaign which
uses NCJW's local base as a
coalition for building a
citizens' coalition for action.
"I've been asked how can a
Jewish organization ad-
vocate abortion, isn't this
just like the Holocaust?"
said Carol Sue Coden, presi-
dent of NCJW in Detroit.
"We don't see abortion as a
religious issue. Taking away
any group's rights —
whether Jews or women — is
a totalitarian device.
"NCJW's resolution is
committed to protecting
every female's right to
choose abortion and elim-
inating any obstacles that
limit her reproductive
freedom," Mrs. Coden said.
Michigan abortion rights
activists also report a surge
of new volunteers — about
1,000 — since the Operation
Rescue demonstrations in
Wichita in August.
MARAL, with 10,000
members, is adding 400 new
patient protector teams "to
guarantee women's access to
their constitutional right" to
a safe, legal abortion, accor-
ding to MARAL deputy di-
rector Pam Landis.
"The role of a patient pro-
tector is to provide emo-
tional support and protec-
tion to the patient who may
be otherwise frightened

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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

15