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Abortion

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BETH ABRAHAM WEIL IMJSESI

COLLEGE OF JEWISH STUDIES

A division of the Agency fat Jewish Education

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Sunday, March 8, 1992 7:30 pm

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Monday, March 9, 1992

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Continued from Pagel

Daniel Polish of Temple
Beth El. "Our situation is
different from their situa-
tion."
This experience, plus those
of other local rabbis who
have counseled women on
abortion, runs against that
of clergy in other religions,
particularly certain Chris-
tian denominations.
"It can be so unpleasant
that it creates a barrier and
you have to leave," said
Pastor William Pearson of
Calvalry Lutheran Church
in Southfield. Pastor Pear-
son served a Lutheran chur-
ch in Benton Harbor when
abortion was not legal in
Michigan. He said he knew
three clergymen from other
denominations that had to
leave their congregations
because of their pro-choice
positions.
But while pro-choice
rabbis avoid this debate
between personal belief and
religious dogma, they often
struggle to get their con-
gregants to consult them
about abortion and human
sexuality.
"People are afraid, at
times, to approach their
rabbi on that topic (sexuali-
ty)," said Rabbi William
Gershon of Congregation
Shaarey Zedek. "People ask
about it, so it tells me that
they're searching for a Jew-
ish approach."
Jewish law on abortion can
be interpreted many diff-
erent ways, but it is clear on
one point: if the mother's life
or health is in danger, an
abortion must be performed.
"Most of us would agree
that in no way should abor-
tion be used as a method of
birth control," Rabbi Ger-
shon said.
At best, local rabbis report
individually counseling a
dozen women annually
about abortion. Most report
seeing fewer than that.
One rabbi said that
counseling in general is not
as effective as it should be,
and that it can be a struggle
to help anyone make a well-
rounded decision.
"A good number of people
in general will come to me
and will want to be given
permission to do something
they have in mind," said
Rabbi Lane Steinger of
Temple Emanuel.
"They're seeking valida-
tion," he said. "That's not up
to me, however. I can't tell
them what's best for them to
do."
A good counseling session,
he added, rests squarely on
Jewish traditions and prin-
ciples; in this case, Judaism
has specific rules on abortion
which have to applied on a

case-by-case basis. The trou-
ble, Rabbi Steinger said, is
getting people to listen to
Jewish tradition.
"I think the clergy has
tremendous strength," he
said. "But let's be realistic. I
don't think with the Ameri-
can rabbinate, people are go-
ing to come to a rabbi and
say, 'Should I do this or
shouldn't I do this,' and
automatically do what is
prescribed to them. Rabbis
have to do a lot of convinc-
ing."
"The bigger issue is the
trust and service that exists
between the rabbi and the
individual involved."
Often for women, that
trust is difficult to attain,
said Ms. Redmond, the ex-
ecutive director of Michigan
RCAR.
"Women don't have role
models within religion," Ms.
Redmond said. "They have
no way of relating to the re-
ligious leader of the church
or synagogue."
Ms. Redmond added that
women have traditionally
not taken part in church and
synagogue life; only recently
have there been female

"I don't think
people are going to
come to a rabbi and
say 'should I do this
or shouldn't I do
this' and
automatically do
what is prescribed
to them."

Rabbi Lane Steinger

clergy. That, she says,
makes it difficult for them to
share a private decision
about abortion with a
clergyman they can't trust.
"I think women live with
less than an absolute
rigidity because your life can
change 180 degrees every
month of your fertile life,"
she said. "People can call
that 'situational morality'
but that's the reality women
deal with."
Rabbi Ernst Conrad, a
vocal supporter of abortion
rights, said with those few
women he's counseled on
abortion, spirituality has
mattered little, compared to
physical and economic con-
siderations.
"They don't have the spiri-
tual need," he said. "If the
spiritual need arises, they
will come to me afterward
with the feelings of guilt."
Still, the rabbis said
Judaism should not be view-
ed in the same light as other
religions on this issue. The