November 7, 2024 - In response to the passage of seven state ballot initiatives protecting abortion access, Rabbi Jonah Dov Pesner, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and Rabbi Liz P.G. Hirsch, CEO of Women of Reform Judaism, released the following statement:
"We celebrate the passage of ballot initiatives in Arizona, Colorado, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, and New York, that protect abortion access by rolling back abortion bans and enshrining the right to abortion into state constitutions. After the Supreme Court's 2022 decision striking down Roe v. Wade that established the constitutional right to abortion, these ballot initiatives protect and expand access to life-saving reproductive health care for millions of people across the United States.
Several of these victories come as part of the Reform Movement's Every Voice, Every Vote campaign to protect, expand, and strengthen democracy. Working across lines of difference with local, state, and national partners, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and Women of Reform Judaism mobilized over 8,500 Reform Jews to reach more than 155,000 voters in support of abortion access. These efforts occurred via phone and text banks, post-carding parties, congregational meetings, canvassing, rallies, individual outreach, and more. We were proud to partner with Arizona for Abortion Access, Coloradans for Reproductive Freedom, Nevadans for Reproductive Freedom, New Yorkers for Equal Rights, Freedom in Reproduction - Maryland, and many other allies to pass these measures.
A centerpiece of the campaign was supporting Florida's Amendment 4 to Limit Government Interference in Abortion. After Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation to prohibit abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, RAC-FL (the Florida-based affiliate of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism) and Women of Reform Judaism began mobilizing to overturn this ban. In partnership with Floridians Protecting Freedom, Reform Jewish leaders collected over 17,000 signatures in 2023, contributing to the over 1 million signatories needed to qualify the proposed constitutional amendment for the ballot. After the Florida Supreme Court ruled in April 2024 to keep the decision in the hands of voters, Reform congregations in Florida and across the United States worked tirelessly to educate Florida voters and ensure all voters have the tools to make their voices heard. We are proud that so many Reform synagogues in Florida and across the country mobilized in support of reproductive freedom. While Amendment 4 fell short of the 60 percent threshold required to pass, the 57 percent of voters who supported the measure are demanding that lawmakers repeal the abortion ban. The vote sends a clear message to Florida politicians to take legislative action to end the abortion ban.
Inspired by Jewish text and tradition, the Reform Jewish Movement has long supported abortion access. We are guided by the value of respecting individual dignity (kavod habriyot) and the commandment to save a life (pikuach nefesh), which is prioritized above all other commandments. Protecting and expanding abortion access saves lives and ensures that all people can make their own health care decisions without government interference. These wins bring us one step closer to bodily autonomy for all.
Even as we celebrate these victories, the future of abortion access still hangs in the balance. It is more urgent than ever that the 118 th Congress and Biden administration swiftly codify a federal right to abortion by passing bills such as the Women's Health Protection Act and Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act. As we anticipate the next Congress and administration, we will continue to center the most vulnerable and fight for reproductive freedom for all Americans."
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The Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism is the Washington office of the Union for Reform Judaism, whose 850 congregations across North America encompass 1.8 million Reform Jews, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, whose membership includes more than 2,000 Reform rabbis. Visit RAC.org for more.
Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) is a network of Jewish women working together to empower women and communities worldwide through the bonds of sisterhood, spirituality, and social justice. WRJ, founded in 1913, is the women's affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism. Visit WRJ.org for more.
The Reform Movement's Every Voice, Every Vote campaign is made possible in part by the Leo and Libby Nevas Family Foundation. We are also grateful for the generosity of the JKMS Williams Family Foundation, which supported RAC-FL's phone banks.
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