Today, the leadership of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America (Orthodox Union) issued the following statement:
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The Orthodox Union is unable to either mourn or celebrate the news reports of the U.S. Supreme Court’s likely overturning of Roe v Wade. We cannot support absolute bans on abortion—at any time point in a pregnancy—that would not allow access to abortion in lifesaving situations. Similarly, we cannot support legislation that permits “abortion on demand”—at any time point in a pregnancy—and does not confine abortion to situations in which medical (including mental health) professionals affirm that carrying the pregnancy to term poses real risk to the life of the mother.
As people of faith, we see life as a precious gift granted to us and maintained within us by God. Jewish law places paramount value on choosing life and mandates-not as a right but as a responsibility-safeguarding our own lives and the lives of others by behaving in a healthy and secure manner, doing everything in our power to save lives, and refraining from endangering others. This concern for even potential life extends to the unborn fetus and to the terminally ill.
Abortion on demand–the “right to choose” (as well as the “right to die”) are thus completely at odds with our religious and halachic values. Legislation and court rulings that enshrine such rights concern us deeply on a societal level.
Yet that same mandate to preserve life requires us to be concerned for the life of the mother. Jewish law prioritizes the life of the pregnant mother over the life of the fetus such that where the pregnancy critically endangers the physical health or mental health of the mother, an abortion may be authorized, if not mandated, by Halacha and should be available to all women irrespective of their economic status. Legislation and court rulings-federally or in any state-that absolutely ban abortion without regard for the health of the mother would literally limit our ability to live our lives in accordance with our responsibility to preserve life.
The extreme polarization around and politicization of the abortion issue does not bode well for a much-needed nuanced result. Human life-the value of everyone created in the Divine Image-is far too important to be treated as a political football.
Another lie from the yu crowd. The simple truth is that the elective abortions are completely forbidden according to halacha, the only exception is when a mother’s life is in physical danger and the choice is simply between either only a mother survives or a baby. No if and buts. Period.
Everyone agrees, even the most anti-abortion activists, that a mother’s life takes precedence in case of a real physical danger. Therefore, what is this pathetic statement is blabbering about? The entire Roe vs Wade was specifically about elective abortions when mother’s life is not in danger. Another perversion of halacha and Chilul H by the self proclaimed establishment!
What a disgraceful statement.
The SCOTUS is not saying whether abortion should be legal or illegal. All they are doing is putting it where it belongs, back to states.
This is black and white a good thing. Since Roe vs. Wade over 63 million abortions have been carried out!!! It gives Judaism a horrible name when the Rabbinate gives such a lukewarm statement. What a Chillul Hashem!!
On a state by state basis let the OU give their opinion.
Was written by a Hack, a cop out.
You know, by this kind of logic there shouldn’t be laws against murder, because sometimes it’s necessary for a person to use lethal force to save their life or that of someone else.
There shouldn’t be kashrus organizations, because sometimes it’s necessary to feed a Jew non-kosher food in order to save his or her life.
And so forth. Has the OU never heard of the adage “hard cases make bad law”?
“mental health of the mother”, That might be hard to measure. Some doctors push abortion when it appears something, such as Downs Syndrome, may be wrong with the baby. First of all, those tests can be inaccurate. Second, are people supposed to act like Nazis and decide that these children can’t live?
Roe vs. Wade should be dispensed with and replaced with a more moderate view that nay be in line with halacha.
It’s so troubling that no one really knows what this means. Please do research before putting out statements like this. It would mean the states make the law not the federal government, that’s it.
Not our circus. Not our monkeys, clowns nor acrobats.
I am lost as to the purpose of this statement. Who are they writing this for? Why are there no signatures of specific members of the OU leadership?
How much you want to bet, whoever wrote this in the liberal leaning organization, did not examine the facts on the ground as they really are?
All this does is push it back to the states. It doesn’t ban anything per se. It’s up to the states to decide whether or not they want to allow it. States like New York, California and some others, are very happy with abortion (let’s just call it baby murder because that’s what it is) going all the way into the 9th month and beyond. Don’t forget, we know there are states where post birth abortion, also known as murder, is allowed to take place.
I believe that the law in states where it would be banned outright, allow for a situation where the mother is in danger, SERIOUS PHYSICAL DANGER, because of the pregnancy. I looked into that years ago and I believe that still is the case even amongst the states that fixed up their loose laws.
I’m further disappointed by the author for not being clear that in yiddishkeit, it’s not a black and white issue, and in a case of a pregnancy termination, serious shaylos need to be asked and NOT to lean totally on what the doctor says. We know doctors have ulterior motives in mind especially when it comes to how much it will cost the hospital for treatment. Let’s not get ourselves because that it does happen! Thank you ObamaDoesn’tCare!
Even in a life threatening situation, one would be required to seek out a Jewish doctor. For a non-Jewish one it would be murder.
Oh boy is this going to make a lot of people here very angry. They believe that abortion is absolutely forbidden all the time no matter what. When the reality is that for Jews it is permitted some times and when I wrote that yesterday a whole bunch of people went nutso. The fact many teshuvos are written about this and it is a huge machklokes what the issur is and when it starts… a whole bunch of am haratzim seem to know better than the Torah and the poskim who follow it. They have been brainwashed by the Christian fundamentalists when the reality in halacha is very nuanced, exactly as it says here. So the states that may one day say it is 100 percent forbidden in all circumstances no matter what would be a challenge for Jews. However, obviously the opposite is antithetical to our beliefs.
Abortions were not completely illegal prior to roe v wade, nor would they be afterwards. This is a complete straw man argument. Does the author know many pro-life activists? The very person whom this lawsuit was about was from Texas where at the time abortion was illegal, wait for it… except when the life of the mother was threatened. Sound familiar OU? This was Texas pre Roe.
Abortions on account of danger to the mother or her physical or mental health is threatened, account for less than .7% of abortions and if you thrown in for serious fetal abnormality it goes up to a little more than 1.3% and if you throw in for rape and/or incest it’s just under 1.4% so these are the exceptions and any state that bans abortion as they should, must have an exception for the mothers health.
The Torah REQUIRES us to save the life of the mother and sacrifice the life of the fetus when the fetus is threatening the life of the mother.
That option would be in great jeopardy in many states if Roe v. Wade is overturned. Lives would be at risk.
Allowing abortions doesn’t force anyone to choose abortion. We can daven that people make the right decision.
Well, that’s OU for you. Sort of Orthodox, sort of not…
This comes from the certifiers of single malt liquor and now marijana. If we let the OU certify abortions, and give them a few buck$ all will be ok.
This is the same OU that its leadership watched a movie with President Biden in the White House. I wonder what other ideas the President put in their minds
A very clear statement on our position on abortion.
Very well stated! This is not a black and white issue by any means, but the majority support in this leaked draft opinion is encouraging while at the same time a dangerous breach of the integrity of the Judicial branch of government. A bittersweet day indeed.