(Jewish Group) What do Jews say about abortion?

[Behind the Aegis]

What do Jews say about abortion? Your primer as the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade

UPDATE: This article was updated on June 24, 2022, after the Court released its full decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

(JTA) — The Jewish Telegraphic Agency and our partner sites at 70 Faces Media have answered the question many times over the years, a testament to its persistence in political life and its significance to American Jews: What do Jews believe about abortion?

After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on Friday, the question is relevant yet again.

Here’s what we know: American Jews favor abortion rights, more than any other religious group, according to public polling. And traditional Jewish law permits (and even requires) abortion in some circumstances, particularly when the life or health of the pregnant person is at stake.

That means Jewish women in dozens of states will almost certainly become unable to access care that they might well decide is required religiously.

“What Jewish community would want to continue to live in a place where they are potentially barred from following halacha (Jewish law)?” Ephraim Sherman, an Orthodox Jew and health care professional, wrote in JTA in 2019. “Is a community even allowed by halacha to continue living in such a place?”

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