March to defend Roe v. Wade

RABBI SALLY J. PRIESAND

Helen Keller once said, "When one door of happiness closes, another opens." But what is said less often, and what may be even truer, is that when one door opens, thousands of others open too, providing many opportunities to make a difference in the world. This was my experience in 1972, when the doors of the Reform Jewish community opened and accepted me as America's first female rabbi. It is in times like these that society takes not just steps, but leaps, forward.

When you stand for what you know is right, even in the face of the strongest resistance, you can change the course of history. I think about this truth when I consider the struggles of those who fought in the south in the 1950s and 1960s for civil rights, economic freedom and the right to a good education.

I also think about this when I consider the strides that were made three decades ago toward granting reproductive freedom in the United States, giving hope not just to women, but to all Americans. The landmark Supreme Court decision, Roe v. Wade, sent a message across the country that women - not government - should be trusted to make their own personal decisions. In its purest sense, this struggle was not only to gain reproductive rights. It was about civil rights and the way in which our society values women.

In the faith community, we are acutely aware of the spiritual and moral issues that are associated with reproductive freedom. Abortion is never an easy decision but one that should be made within the context of a woman's personal beliefs and/or religious tradition. For example, Judaism teaches that life begins at birth and that the well-being of the woman, not the fetus, should always come first. Any legislation that implies otherwise interferes with my ability to practice the tenets of my faith as I interpret them. Only through dialogue and discussion, and with respect for each other, can we hope to understand the many different opinions that exist among us.

I remember all too well America before Roe v. Wade, and I often wonder if young people truly understand how what we fought for a generation ago gives them the ability to make choices today. We take so much for granted. When I see a young woman in my community, I try to put myself in her shoes and imagine a world in which she would not be able to make a choice about her own life or her own body. I wonder if she knows how dangerously close we are to losing our ability to make these choices in the significant moments of our lives.

Some think this is yesterday's battle, that the struggle is over, and it is time to move on, but in reality, the battle has never been more urgent.

That is why I am raising my voice, lending my name and joining the March for Women's Lives on April 25 in Washington, D.C. The March for Women's Lives, organized by the leading civil rights and women's rights groups in America, will make history, not for its size alone, but because it represents people of diverse backgrounds and different faith communities - all of us proud Americans - coming together to speak with one voice and stand up for freedom, the precious ideal that lies at the very heart of the land we love.

Rabbi Sally J. Priesand is the rabbi of Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls, N.J.

Home