Reproductive
Justice
The Problem
The freedoms established in the Roe v Wade decision were never enough. Many people, especially those who have been most marginalized, have always had very limited access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare needs. The overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, while terrible, with impacts affecting millions of people, places us in a position to reclaim not just the freedoms of Roe but to enshrine bodily autonomy and reproductive justice protections for everyone in state constitutions, including Pennsylvania’s, and to acknowledge that Reproductive Justice is a right we all need and deserve.
The Reproductive Justice movement was started by a small group of Black women who saw that the establishment organizations were not addressing their needs when it came to reproductive healthcare. The three core values of reproductive justice are:
The right to have a child
The right to not have a child
The right to parent a child or children in safe and healthy environments. It is more expansive than solely abortion but includes the right to abortion.
Our Vision
NCJW Pittsburgh complements the work of our national organization and expands it to meet the needs of Pennsylvanians. We serve as an ally in Reproductive Justice work, following the leadership of organizations who have been in this work for decades, while taking the lead on the faith-based Jewish perspective on abortion. In the Jewish tradition, a pregnant person’s life takes precedence over that of a developing fetus. In this framework, abortion can be seen as an issue of religious freedom. Our goal is to make sure that barrier-free abortion healthcare is fully accessible to all Pennsylvanians.
What We’re Doing
Our work includes hosting Repro Shabbat, the weekend each year when Mishpatim is read in the Torah; we work with area Sisterhoods on developing educational and action-based programming. We annually update our community on the status of reproductive legislation and court cases during the Yahrzeit of Roe, the day that the Supreme Court overturned that long standing precedent. We are working in coalition to develop an ongoing information and education campaign on the danger that Crisis Pregnancy Centers continually pose to privacy, to health outcomes, and to abortion access. We support a group of Reproductive Justice activists to help sway state and local policy so that we can achieve equity and access for all reproductive healthcare.
How You Can Help
Join us by Taking Action on key advocacy priorities
Normalize abortion care - talk with your friends and family about the importance of reproductive healthcare that includes abortion care, and the need to ensure that all forms of reproductive care are affordable and accessible
Let your elected representatives know that you support reproductive justice. Find your PA and federal legislators here.
If you or someone you know has been impacted by a Crisis Pregnancy Center’s (CPC) deceptive practices, report it. For City of Pittsburgh-based CPC’s, you can also report at the City site here.
Celebrate Repro Shabbat - hold a Shabbatluck for your friends and family, or work with your congregation to organize an event. Let us know about your event, and get assistance by emailing us at info@ncjwpgh.org
Donate to support our work to make comprehensive reproductive care affordable and accessible
Support efforts to ensure Reproductive Justice - sign up for our mailing list to stay informed!