The Supreme Court has voted to uphold the Federal Abortion Ban, and it is a sad and scary day in America (we’re having a lot of those this week). You can actually read the decision in its entirety here. The most detrimental feature of the decision from a legal perspective is likely to be the precedent it sets NOT to make any exceptions for the health of the woman. This is a particularly important in light of halakhic rules that require us to place a high value on the woman’s health in such cases. For more on the Supreme Court Decision, check out Feminist Majority, The National Council of Jewish Women and NOW. Read Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Dissent, which she took the rare step of reading aloud to the Court. Although Justice Bader Ginsburg’s move was derided as “politically greedy” in some right-wing blogs, we see it as a powerful example of a Jewish woman who refuses to shut her mouth in the face of injustice.

Lilith has been covering issues of choice for over 25 years. We invite you to download and read one such article: “Is Abortion Murder? Jews and Christians Will Answer Differently” by Leila Bronner from our Winter 1997-98 issue.

Please post your comments or thoughts below, or feel free to send them to Lilith’s blog moderator, Mel Weiss.

Update: We’re Not Giving Up
Despite the discouraging vote by the Supreme Court, we’re not giving up so easily. The JTA has just reported that groups are revving up to fight the ruling (check out the quote from Lilith’s own Susan Weidman Schneider).

In a show of amazing timing, the Freedom of Choice Act has been reintroduced. (Read the ACLU’s press release.) The bill has been reintroduced by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D – NY) and–no surprise here–Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

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