NCJW/Essex Event, Roe 2.0, Commemorates Roe v. Wade Decision

SHORT HILLS, NJ - On the 47th Anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision, NCJW/Essex held a special Lunch & Learn, Roe 2.0: The New Era of Reproductive Rights, to mark this historic event, to continue the conversation on the importance of abortion rights, and to discuss what these rights will look like in the future.

More than 200 people attended the event at Congregation B’nai Jeshurun in Short Hills on January 28, including representatives from a variety of reproductive rights groups, of which 26 were co-sponsors of the event.

The keynote speaker was Katie Watson, attorney, award-winning professor, and acclaimed author of “Scarlet A: The Ethics, Law and Politics of Ordinary Abortion.” Watson gave helpful talking points anyone can use when discussing abortion.

“The abortion cases we discuss most are the ones that occur least,” explained Watson, who focused on ordinary abortions – two-thirds of which occur within the first eight weeks of pregnancy.

Watson cited statistics from the Guttmacher Institute that in the U.S., one in four women under the age of 45 have had an abortion; for women over 45, the number is 1 in 3. In fact, 1 in 5 of all U.S. pregnancies ends in abortion, and 24% of adult women in the U.S. have had an abortion.

Watson also urged all to shift the discussion of abortion from the “politics of sympathy” to the “politics of respect and solidarity” explaining that support of abortion should not be based on if a person is in agreement with the woman’s need for an abortion, but rather, should understand this is a decision for her to make, whether one agrees with or is sympathetic to this choice.

Watson also pointed out that the legality and morality of abortion are two separate things, which have become conflated in discussions in the United States.

As for the future of the Roe v Wade decision being upheld, Watson said, “I don’t know what the future holds, and neither do you, but we know it’s going to be different.” Watson also urged all to focus on reproductive justice, and not just reproductive freedom, emphasizing that there are many barriers to accessing abortions, including cost.

Jordan Goldberg, Director of Policy at the National Institute for Reproductive Health (NIRH) and the NIRH Action Fund, also addressed the audience, highlighting the need to be engaged on the topic of abortion rights, as “restriction will be incremental.”

NCJW/Essex will be holding their next Lunch & Learn, Election Crisis 2020, on Wednesday, May 13.

About National Council of Jewish Women, Essex County Section

The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a grassroots organization of volunteers and advocates who turn progressive ideals into action. Inspired by Jewish values, NCJW strives for social justice by improving the quality of life for women, children, and families and by safeguarding individual rights and freedoms. With more than 3,200 members, Essex County Section is the largest of the more than 100 NCJW Sections around the country. The Section was founded in 1912 and maintains offices in Livingston, N.J. For more information, visit www.ncjwessex.org.