MAY 19 • 2022 | 19

in January 2022 to testify 
in support of the summary 
wording of the initiative. 
“For younger women, I 
think there was this feeling 
that this could never hap-
pen,” Levy said. “There was 
a fear [the court] would 
merely chip away at Roe, but 
this [leaked] draft opinion 
shows that there’s an inten-
tion to eliminate it. So that 
has mobilized a lot of young 
people and people of all ages. 
The [1931] law is a throw-
back to a much earlier time 
in our country and would 
take away the many free-
doms that women have taken 
for granted, such as having 
the same freedoms as men 
when it comes to making 
decisions about our health-
care.” 
Hadassah is also activating 
its constituents, according 

to Hadassah of 
Greater Detroit 
President Mandy 
Garver. 
“Hadassah has 
always unequiv-
ocally stood 
for a woman’s 
reproductive rights,” Garver 
said. “We believe that women 
must be able to continue 
to make critical healthcare 
decisions for themselves and 
for their families based on 
a person’s own values and 
on medical guidance. We 
are asking people to become 
public champions for repro-
ductive rights by talking with 
friends, family and neigh-
bors, and above all contact 
their state House represen-
tatives as well as their repre-
sentatives in Congress to let 
them know as voters where 
we stand on this issue.” 

Members of Detroit Jews 
for Justice also fear what 
the reversal may eventually 
mean for gay rights. 
“There is 
a real risk 
that Obergefell 
v Hodges, the case 
which protected 
same-sex mar-
riage, will also be 
overturned,” said 
Elijah Silver, DJJ organizer 
for campaigns and educa-
tion. “If this happens, a 2004 
amendment to the Michigan 
Constitution will go back 
into effect, which would ban 
all forms of same-sex mar-
riage in the state. Other rul-
ings that are at risk include 
Lawrence v Texas, which pro-
tects all forms of sexual acts 
between consenting adults, 
and Griswold v. Connecticut, 
which protects access to 

birth control.” 
Planned 
Parenthood vol-
unteer and board 
member Diane 
Orley attended a 
Detroit fundrais-
er on the evening of May 10, 
where she and 240 donors 
secured $225,000 to support 
the organization’s in-state 
clinics. 
Orley, 62, of Birmingham, 
fears that the assault on per-
sonal liberties will continue 
unless Michigan can get its 
legislature back to an ideo-
logical center. 
“The only way to get our 
legislature back in the cen-
ter is to keep money out 
of politics and change how 
elections/nominations occur. 
Sadly, I don’t see it happening 
in our lifetime,” she said. 

Elijah Silver

Mandy 
Garver

Diane Orley