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

