New Perspectives on Abortion and the Jewish Community
Date: Apr 07, 2021 - Apr 07, 2021
Time: 8:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Sponsor: Online Learning
Category: Online Learning
An Online Mini-Course with Dr. Michal Raucher
Wednesdays April 7, 14, 21 at 8:00-9:00 p.m. ET
This course has been generously underwritten by the Asbell Family in memory of Edward Lieber (z”l), father of Professor Andrea Lieber.
Many discussions of abortion and Judaism, from the Torah and Talmud through to contemporary rabbinic positions, focus on if and when abortion is permissible. It is framed as an entirely legal question. However, many other concerns are at play both for individuals deciding whether or not to have an abortion and for lawmakers, even in ultra-Orthodox communities. This class will uncover the multiple factors—aside from Jewish religious law—that have surfaced in the study of abortion in Israeli law, in Haredi society, and in the US Jewish community’s perspectives on abortion. These factors reveal a more complex understanding of Jewish reproductive rights and justice than the rabbinic framework allows, and one that is very different from the dominant US discourse.
Cost
$60 for three sessions
Dr. Michal Raucher, a JTS Fellow, is undergraduate director and assistant professor of Jewish Studies at Rutgers University. Her research lies at the intersection of Israel studies, Jewish ethics, and the anthropology of women in Judaism.