SHJ JOINS JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS URGING CONGRESS TO SUPPORT THE “EACH WOMAN ACT”

The Society for Humanistic Judaism has joined with other Jewish organizations and signed on to a letter to Congress circulated by the National Council of Jewish Woman.

The letter shows Jewish community support for the “EACH Woman Act,” HR 2972, a bill to lift the Hyde Amendment that denies abortion coverage to some women because they are poor or are otherwise insured through a federal health plan/program.  The letter goes on to say that “Each individual must be guaranteed fair treatment in exercising their constitutional right to access abortion, regardless of their income, type of insurance, or where they live. Ensuring this access to care is critical to uphold a woman’s religious liberty —… it is unjust for Congress to push abortion out of reach from a woman just because she is poor or due to the insurance she holds, and privileging the religious views of those who oppose abortion.”

This is consistent with many prior statements made by the SHJ that supports the right of women to make decisions about reproduction solely with her physician. In our 1996 statement on Reproductive Choice we affirmed “that all people have the fundamental right to freely determine the course of their own lives and to control the use of their own bodies, and that each person must accept the responsibility that goes along with this freedom.”   In August, 2013 in our statement on Gender Equality and Women’s Equality Day, The Society resolved to condemn gender discrimination in all its forms, including restriction of rights, limited access to education, violence, and subjugation.”