OCTOBER 14 • 2021 | 15

Kahn said. “Because this leg-
islation passed in Texas, there
are going to be so many other
states, including Michigan,
that will pass copycat laws to
take away a woman’s right to
get an abortion before most
people know they are preg-
nant, with no exceptions to
victims of rape or incest.
“My daughters and son
were a major motivation for
me to organize this march.
It shows them there is some-
thing they can do to make a
change.”

DECADES-LONG FIGHT
Listening to the speakers, past
NCJW President Suzanne
Simon, 79, of Birmingham,
remembers marching for
women’s reproductive rights
up and down Greenfield and
Northland when she was in
her 20s and thinks it is “terri-
ble” that she and other NCJW
members must march once
again to fight for these rights,
nearly 60 years later.
“NCJW has for decades
lobbied for women’s rights
and programming for women
and children,” Simon said.
“This is about healthcare. We
were instrumental as an orga-
nization in helping to pass
a law to make sure that safe

abortions could be available
to women. And now, it seems
we are going back to square
one.”
State Sen. Mallory
McMorrow (D-13th District)
said that in 2019, she attended
a Planned Parenthood event
in Lansing, where Attorney
General Dana Nessel stood
up and said “with confidence”
that Roe v Wade would soon
be overturned. Though
McMorrow said her com-
ments were met by criticisms
of fear mongering, the Texas
law gave weight to Nessel’s
prediction.
“Back then, people thought
there would be no way for

ABOVE: Marchers met before the walk to make signs they carried.
BELOW: Margo Lazar of West Bloomfield with her daughters Brooke
and Shaina. BELOW LEFT: Volunteers from Moms Demand Action.

continued from page 14

son, many Texas clinics are
now unable to provide abor-
tion care at all, as they are
understandably unwilling to
place their workers at intol-
erable risk from potentially
ruinous lawsuits enabled by
this Texas law.
We are concerned about
individuals who cannot afford
to travel long distances
to secure abortion care in
neighboring states. We are
also deeply concerned about
Jews who will be unable to
pursue an abortion in keep-
ing with Jewish law, which
mandates abortion when
necessary to preserve the
pregnant person’s well-being.
With respect to Judaism’s
own limited approval of
abortion: “as we would not
impose the historic position
of Jewish teaching upon indi-
viduals nor legislate it as nor-
mative for society at large,
so we would not wish the
position of any other group
imposed upon the Jewish
community or the general
population.”
We also ground ourselves
in kavod habriyot — the
sacred obligation to provide
medical care.
We will continue to work
to overturn this law, pre-
vent similar laws from being
adopted in other states, and
affirm the right of every per-
son to make their own repro-
ductive health decisions.


Central Conference of
American Rabbis
Rabbi Lewis Kamrass,
president
Rabbi Hara E. Person,
chief executive

Union for Reform Judaism
Jennifer Brodkey Kaufman,
chair
Rabbi Rick Jacobs,
president

continued on page 16

COURTESY OF MELISSA KAHN

COURTESY OF MELISSA KAHN
COURTESY OF MELISSA KAHN

COURTESY OF MELISSA KAHN