Today’s Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v Wade is infuriating and disheartening not only because of the damage it will cause to millions of women’s lives, but because this decision lifts the veil over the perjury that the last few justices so obviously committed in their confirmation hearings, as well as the pie-in-the-sky denial of Senators such as Susan Collins who testified that these justices promised them that they respect Supreme Court precedent generally and specifically with respect to Roe v Wade.

The credibility of the Supreme Court was seriously damaged today and reform is needed – suggestions ought to be taken up ASAP such as instituting term limits on Supreme Court Justices and adding justices to compensate for Minority Leader McConnell’s blatant disrespect of Senate tradition when he denied President Obama the privilege of appointing a Supreme Court Justice when Justice Scalia died a year before Obama’s term was up, and then rushed to fill a vacancy on the court with another justice after RBG’s sudden death after Joe Biden was elected and before he took office thus denying Biden also the privilege of appointing a justice.

McConnell and Trump did this just as the 5 justices who voted to overturn Roe (Roberts abstained) did it.

Rabbi Jill Jacobs, CEO of T’ruah – The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, issued the following statement, which says it all: 

“Reproductive freedom is a Jewish value. According to Jewish law, abortion is not only permitted in at least some circumstances, but even required if the life of the pregnant person is at risk. Today’s ruling ignores the First Amendment right for Jews to practice their religion without government interference, and will also have life threatening implications for millions of Americans, primarily low-income people of color, by giving states the power to revoke essential health care from nearly half the population. 

Abortion-related deaths are rare in countries where abortion is legal, accessible, and performed early by skilled providers. Yet with bans on most abortions in many states, potential criminal penalties for those who seek abortion or assist others in doing so, along with unnecessary waiting periods, ultrasounds and other barriers, patients no longer have access to essential health care. 

Pregnant people will now be forced into giving birth or in some cases will lose their lives, due to the financial, legal, health, and personal limitations imposed by this decision. We will see people arrested and imprisoned for seeking essential health care, and we can expect a rise in the horrifying specter of those who have suffered miscarriages and stillbirths being criminally charged as well. 

T’ruah, along with our partners in the reproductive health and justice spaces, will remain steadfast in supporting the right of people to make their own decisions about their bodies, lives, and futures. We call on the Biden administration to take action where the Senate failed and to ensure equal access to abortion nationwide. This is a necessary step forward for racial justice, for abortion justice, and for religious freedom for all.”