Florida Synagogue Claims Religious Freedom to Challenge Restrictions Against Abortions

Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor, Youtube
A Florida synagogue, Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor, filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s 15-week abortion ban, arguing that the policy interferes with the Jewish community’s ability to practice its faith. The lawsuit is filed in state court and cites the Florida Constitution’s religious freedom protections rather than federal ones. The synagogue argues that Florida’s abortion policy enshrines into law conservative Christian teachings about when life begins. Daphne Lazar Price, who heads the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance and teaches Jewish law at Georgetown, said that “in Jewish law, or halacha, a fetus becomes a person at birth – not at conception, not at a certain number of weeks. And until then, this potential life should not be allowed to threaten an actual one.” She said that abortion is sometimes a requirement – it is a religious action – to have to terminate a pregnancy. And denying the right is a violation of religious liberty. The lawsuit contends that under Jewish teaching, abortion “is required if necessary to protect the health, mental or physical well-being of the woman.”

Two weeks before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, an effort to use religious freedom law to challenge abortion restrictions was already underway. On June 10, a Florida synagogue filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s 15-week abortion ban, arguing that the policy interferes with the Jewish community’s ability to practice its faith.

“We’d have to choose between practicing Judaism and this law,” said Rabbi Barry Silver of Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor to McClatchy. Jewish teachings say that abortion is permitted in many cases and even required in some.

The lawsuit is filed in state court and cites the Florida Constitution’s religious freedom protections rather than federal ones. The synagogue argues that Florida’s abortion policy enshrines conservative Christian teachings about when life begins into the law.

“It’s trying to impose a religious view of when life begins, and we’re not fooled,” Rabbi Silver told McClatchy.

Read full article here…

NPR:   https://www.npr.org/2022/07/03/1109607681/fl-lawsuit-argues-supreme-court-abortion-decision-violates-jewish-beliefs

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Boomer Lady
Boomer Lady
1 year ago

This article is ludicrous. I have known many atheists and people of other religions besides Christianity who are pro life. And there are numerous denominations of Judaism, so is this rabbi speaking for all of them?

Bill Goode
Bill Goode
1 year ago

Murder, whether by abortion or other means, is never part of any religious belief. Rabbi Barry Silver is confusing spiritual beliefs with the physical universe. Murder has never been condoned by any valid religious belief.

Phillip Mezzapelle
Phillip Mezzapelle
1 year ago

Can someone please tell me where in the Old Testament God told the Israelites that it was OK to kill unborn babies?

wilma
wilma
1 year ago

The Jewish leadership follows the Babylonian Talmud which has a lot of sick twisted shyte. Even Muhammad couldn’t stomach all of it so wrote his own version, which they rejected; which Muhammad then chose to hate them for, apparently passing that hatred far and wide… Yet his version not THAT much better (Quran). Abraham was not a Jew. Traveling about 1000 miles or so to the area called Judea and/or Judah did not make him a Jew nor any of his descendants. The original Hebrew and Greek words read Judahite or Judean. I wonder who paid the Bible translators to… Read more »

wilma
wilma
1 year ago

Their so called holiest book is the Babylonian Talmud. The origin of the Satanic Verses that Muhammad liked well enough to copy some of, modify some of, and leave out some of. A lot of evil in there …just like the leader of that gogue. It seems retroactive abortions may be necessary for them to understand that the little ones need protection, including those who haven’t quite made it out of the womb yet. Murder is wrong. Not so much in the Babylonian Talmud, depending…

red eagle
red eagle
1 year ago

Laws are enforced, if you kill a preborn sea turtle you will be fined $100,000 and one year in jail. If you kill a preborn eagle you will be fined $200,000 and two years in jail. I you kill a preborn human, no penalties. Let that sink in! No wonder this country will be facing God’s judgment very soon!