Dear John,

The arc of history generally promotes the painful but steady march from oppression to freedom. As a rabbi, I am reminded of this stirring fact each year as we sit around the Passover Seder table.

As we are painfully aware, however, the Supreme Court’s imminent ruling in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization – plus the hostile actions of some state legislatures – will likely take away the freedom to make basic decisions about the trajectory of one’s life.

Quite simply, no one should be forced to remain pregnant against their will. I can confirm that the Scriptures never outlaw abortion or declare that life begins at conception. Rather, they teach that all of us possess the sacred right to decide crucial matters affecting our lives.

Access to abortion already is severely limited for so many. Does anyone want to return to the days before Roe v. Wade when the government dictated who could or couldn’t terminate a pregnancy, and people in power used their own versions of religion and righteousness to spread oppression and despair?

Frankly, the prospect of our government sanctioning such draconian and sexist attacks on human rights angers me to my core. So, I challenge my fellow men to reflect on how their lives have been positively impacted because someone they love could have the abortion she needed.

As a member of the clergy, I call on other people of faith to get loud about the importance of abortion access. Hold your elected leaders accountable. Join me in supporting NIRH in the critical work they do at the state and local levels to protect and expand access to abortion care. [[link removed]]

Those who have had or may need abortion care in the future should not be subjected to shame or stigma, but should be heralded for the courage to intentionally shape their own lives.

Let us all fight for the blessing of freedom, which none of us can take for granted.



Yours,
Rabbi Robert N. Levine, D.D.





National Institute for Reproductive Health
14 Wall St
Suite 3B
New York, NY 10005
United States

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