A number of Jewish groups are blasting the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down Roe v Wade as an assault on their religious views.
Interpretations across Judaism vary on the subject, but some Jews believe that a fetus is part of the parent’s body and that a baby is only considered a person once it takes its first breath.
According to the Women’s Rabbinic Network, some of the religion’s most sacred texts view a fetus as a soul only once it’s born.
The Women’s Rabbinic Network issued a statement that said “forcing someone to carry a pregnancy that they do not want or that endangers their life is a violation of Jewish law because it prioritizes a fetus over the living adult who is pregnant.”
“This must be understood as a violation of the United States Constitution which guarantees our freedom to practice our religion and also our freedom from the dictates of other religions,” it added.
- “Jewish tradition prioritizes the safety of women carrying a child,” the American Jewish Committee said in a statement. “Overturning abortion access, as numerous states already have, denies individuals health care options consistent with their religious beliefs, including many in the Jewish community, thereby presenting issues of religious freedom and privacy.”
- The Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor of Boynton Beach sued Florida over its ban on abortions after 15 weeks, arguing that it imposes “the laws of other religions upon Jews.”