Chatting with an older woman in the elevator the other day, it came up that I am a cancer survivor. In response, she looked me in the eye and said, I like the word survivor. Survivor seems apropos these days as the Supreme Court issues ruling after ruling that shifts the way in which we will experience life here in the United States. Of course, I use the word life deliberately.
Last week's overturning of Roe.v. Wade catapults us
back over a half-century. While we in NYC will continue to have abortion access when needed, women all over the country no longer have bodily autonomy. Poor women. Women of color. Anyone with a uterus old enough to procreate. Those on the fringes will no longer have safe access to reproductive freedom. This week I've borne witness to conversations of those now fearful of visiting states whose laws no longer support appropriate access to abortion. As we approach this July 4th weekend, I'm saddened that the Court's challenge to the separation of church and state threatens to unearth the foundation of our nation. This is not the America committed to democracy we have worked to build.
From a Jewish perspective, let me remind you, Reproductive Freedom is a Jewish Value. You can read the Rabbinical Assembly statement on the decision to turn abortion rights over to individual states here . NCJW - National Council of Jewish Women - has taken the lead in the Jewish community in providing support for those in need, creating the Jewish Fund for Abortion Access. Make a donation and make a difference. 100% of the money raised goes directly to support those who need care. For those who wish, I have a few refrigerator/car magnets and some stickers from NCJW with messaging for this time. Contact me directly if you're interested.
Last week's parasha concludes with the reminder to the Israelites to make fringes/tzitzit for the corners of their garments. This is the passage we know as the third paragraph of the Sh'ma (Numbers 15:37-41). The Torah reminds us of our inclination towards forgetting and provides a means for remembrance. We are not to follow our urges and the loudest voices that rewrite a narrative infringing on religious freedom. Instead, we must hold our commitments to widows, orphans, and those in need in our hands and activate ourselves in observance of Gd's sacred commandments as expressed by the prophet Micah, to do justice, to love goodness, and to walk humbly with your Gd (Micah 6:8).
Tomorrow night, if the sky is clear, we recite Kiddush L'vanah (Siddur LevShalem, p.286), the monthly blessing acknowledging the new moon and giving thanks for what is predictable in life. More than ever, it is on us to express gratitude for what anchors us and appreciate the gift of a new month, days ahead in which to affect change. This is how we survive. Barukh atah adonai m'chadesh hodashim/Blessings to you holy one who renews the months.
Shabbat Shalom, rg
Congregation Habonim 103 West End Ave New York, NY 10023
