Repro Shabbat: A Jewish Commitment to Reproductive Freedom and Justice
Honoring Our Traditions, Protecting Our Rights
Author’s Note: This essay was written before the events of Thursday, February 20. In light of recent developments, I want to add an extra dedication to the memories of Ariel and Kfir Bibas, z”l, and to the speedy resolution of the mystery surrounding Shiri Bibas, HY”D. May their memories be a blessing, and may justice and truth prevail.
My life is shaped by the people I love—by the wisdom of my parents, the partnership of my wife, the resilience of my sister, and the laughter of my child. I am my mother’s son, my wife’s husband, my sister’s brother, and my child’s father. I have seen the incredible strength of the women in my life, and I know firsthand the weight of responsibility that comes with bringing new life into the world. Parenthood is the most profound, joyful, and terrifying experience I have ever had. It is a role that demands the freedom to make the right choices for one’s body, one’s family, and one’s future.
But today, in America, that freedom is under attack.
My father, a scientist, spent his early career at the forefront of medical research. In the 1980s, when fear, misinformation, and loathing surrounded HIV/AIDS, he was among the first to publish research on the disease, seeking truth when others sought to shun and castigate the sick and dying. He had a New York license plate that read “STEMCELL”—a symbol of his dedication to science and progress, now framed and hanging in his office, which serves as a reminder of battles fought for medical ethics and human dignity. My wife is a scientist, too, and a faculty member at a leading medical school, training the next generation of physicians and public health professionals to care for their patients with knowledge and compassion. Science is not an abstract idea in my family—it is a foundation of our values, guiding us toward truth, justice, and the protection of human life.
And yet, in this post-Roe v. Wade America, science, justice, and even religious freedom are being trampled by extreme fundamentalists who seek to impose their ideology on every person with a uterus. These lawmakers—who claim to champion "life"—ignore the lives of the people who are already present. They erase the reality that pregnancy is not a simple, safe, or available process for everyone. They dismiss the pain, danger, and personal realities that come with carrying a child. They disregard religious perspectives, like Judaism, that center the health and well-being of the pregnant person above all else.
It is not a coincidence that “Repro Shabbat” falls on Parshat Mishpatim, the Torah portion that lays the groundwork for Jewish perspectives on reproductive rights. Exodus 21:22-23, and as later discussed in the Talmud (Bava Kamma 42a), makes it clear: a fetus is not a full person in Jewish law, and the life of the pregnant person takes precedence. Our tradition is unequivocal—abortion is not only allowed in certain circumstances but it is required when the pregnant person's life is at risk. Judaism has always recognized that reproductive health is not a political issue but a matter of medical and ethical necessity.
But today, Jewish women—and all who need reproductive healthcare—are being denied access to care that our religion permits and, in some cases, mandates. The same country that prides itself on religious freedom is violating it, imposing a narrow, politically motivated Christian framework onto people of all faiths and none at all.
As a father, I want my child to grow up in a world where science is respected, where medical decisions are made by patients and doctors together, not politicians, and where religious freedom applies to everyone, not just those in power. As a husband, I want my wife to live in a society that values her autonomy and respects her expertise. As a brother, I want my sister to bring her child into the world on her own terms, with the care and support she deserves. As a son, I want to honor my father’s legacy by standing up for medical ethics and human dignity.
Repro Shabbat is more than just a day of study—it is a call to action. It is a moment to reaffirm that reproductive freedom is a Jewish value, that access to healthcare is a human right, and that the fight for justice is far from over.
This Shabbat, I will hold my child extra close, grateful for the journey that brought him into my life. I will honor the strength of my wife, my sister, my mother, and all who have fought for their right to make choices about their own bodies. When we light the Shabbat candles tonight I will add a prayer that my child will grow up in a world where justice prevails, where science and faith are not at odds, and where reproductive freedom is truly protected for all.
Because in Judaism, life is sacred—and that includes, perhaps first and foremost, the lives of those who are already here.