CJJ members are working with congregations across the state to loudly proclaim abortion access and reproductive justice as Jewish values. Check out the statements here:

• Kehillah - Chapel Hill
• Temple Beth Or - Raleigh 
• Beth HaTephila - Asheville
• Beth El - Charlotte
• Beth Meyer - Raleigh
• Congregation Beth Israel - Asheville
• Judea Reform Congregation - Durham
• Jewish Secular Community of Asheville

We are proud to support the leadership of the North Carolina Jewish Clergy Association. Click here to read their statement in opposition to Senate Bill 20.

Want to learn more more about the Jewish perspective on abortion and about resolutions that were passed by WNC Jewish congregations to support abortion access? The article linked here appeared in the Asheville Citizen-Times and was authored by Rabbi Meiri (Congregation Beth HaTephila), Rabbi Levine (Congregation Beth Israel) and Lisa Forehand (CJJ Statewide Organizer).

With the overturning of Roe v Wade in June 2022, anti-abortion lawmakers in the North Carolina legislature passed SB20 in May 2023, the first new abortion restrictions in our state since the 2015-16 legislative session. As of July 1, 2023, new and significant changes to abortion access will go into effect in North Carolina, greatly limiting access to abortion care in our state. As is always the case with abortion restrictions, none of these restrictions are medically necessary, are not supported by any medical associations, and are designed solely for making it more difficult for people to access the care they need when they need it. 

During these challenging times, we are still advocating for every North Carolinian to have access to the reproductive healthcare they need. We know the need for abortion care, and all reproductive healthcare, doesn't go away because laws are passed that restrict access. Reproductive freedom means all people should be able to access the reproductive healthcare they need in the communities where they live. 

To help North Carolinians navigate access, our partners at Pro-Choice NC have created this resource page.

Before we can have meaningful conversations about abortion, it’s important to have an understanding of what the medical side of abortion looks like. You don’t need to have extensive knowledge on the medical procedures to do this work, but it’s good to have some context. A surface-level understanding of abortion procedures will also help us better identify misinformation and false assumptions and ground our messaging in science, health care, and fact. Check out the presentation on abortion care from Planned Parenthood linked here. This presentation also reviews the landscape in North Carolina before and after the passing of Senate Bill 20.  

Let’s review what you can do to protect access to reproductive healthcare. 

• Learn more about reproductive justice from SisterSong at this link here. SisterSong is the leading women of color reproductive justice collective in the US. Reproductive Justice leaders met January 20-22, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia, convened by SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. This summit took place on what would have been the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion—a decision that was overturned in 2022 leading to the loss of legal abortion in half the country. The group envisioned a new future for Reproductive Justice, which follows here.
• Attend CJJ’s statewide Reproductive Justice working group’s next meeting on Thursday, July 13th at 7PM on Zoom. You can register at this link here. We will debrief from our summer film screenings, share updates from our partner organizations and clinics, and more. 
• Check out the calendar to find a rally or action near you. 

Abortion access is a Jewish value, and CJJ will unapologetically fight for safe and legal access to abortion care and to ensure that every single person can make their own decisions about their body, health, and future.

Why is abortion access a Jewish Value?

CJJ and the Progressive Kehillah at Beth Meyer Synagogue together for a night of study and practice with Rabbi Jenny Solomon on Wednesday, June 22

Our friends at the Carolina Abortion Fund say that the South has always been post-Roe, so we’re not surprised by the news that the Supreme Court eliminated federally-protected access to abortion. While we are devastated and furious, we know that this fight is far from over. That’s why CJJ works in coalition to remove the many restrictions on abortion access in our state, following the leadership of those who are most directly impacted by these attacks on reproductive freedom. Here’s how we start:

• Donate to the Carolina Abortion Fund, and independent clinics such as Keep Our Clinics that continue to work hard to make sure people can get the care they need.
• Contribute to the Jewish Fund for Abortion Access, an initiative of the National Council of Jewish Women that resources the National Abortion Federation. 
• Support Pro-Choice NC, long time leaders in this fight working exclusively to protect and advance the reproductive rights of North Carolinians — and sign up for their Rapid Response list to stay informed about actions you can take now and in the future.
• Make sure you are registered to vote. And then go vote, in every election, and down the whole ballot.
• Contact your senators to demand that they protect our rights by passing the Women's Health Protection Act.

We know that ending sexual trauma is a part of reproductive justice. Access to mental health support like therapy services is part of comprehensive healthcare. Thank you for our friends at Orange County Rape Crisis Center for extending the following free/low-cost therapy services for survivors of sexual violence who are over the age of 12 living in or near Orange, Person, Chatham, and Durham counties to CJJ members.

Further media coverage and reading

• Hear from Raleigh-based Rabbis Lucy Dinner and Eric Solomon in "Religious beliefs led to Roe’s overturn. Other religions suffer because of it." in the News & Observer.

• Check out what Amy Lefkof has to say about "What the reversal of Roe v. Wade means for Jews like me" in the Charlotte Observer.

• Consider the 2013 piece "My North Carolina Abortion" from the Jewish Women's Archive written by long-time friend of CJJ Emilia Diamant.

• What does the overturning of Roe v. Wade have to do with Jewish religious freedom? Read this piece from NPR here. 

To learn more about how our Jewish values inform our work for reproductive justice, check out the National Council of Jewish Women's Abortion and Jewish Values Toolkit. Each section explores a different facet of this work, and the background information provides a necessary context for understanding the specifics of the Jewish messaging resources and the intersection of abortion rights with other critical issues.