Ari Ballaban — In Conversation
January 26, 2023 |
1 Comment
Abortion, the Ballot, and Where We Stand
In its role as a representative voice for the Cincinnati Jewish community, JCRC supports women’s right to obtain an abortion if they so choose. This perspective is rooted in our community members’ sociocultural and religious values.
First, many Jewish Cincinnatians support classical liberalism (à la John Locke), including a right to bodily autonomy. Thus, they want abortion access to be protected. Second, a great number of Jewish Cincinnatians see a need for abortion rights demanded by their religion. Because Judaism permits abortion—even sometimes requires it—the space to consult with one’s conscience and rabbi, and potentially obtain an abortion is a religious priority. And, although Jewish authorities typically consider fetuses life in potencia [potential life] and thus worth protecting, they do not consider fetuses full persons—personhood (or “life”) from conception is a Christian concept, and it should not be privileged under US law.
All this matters now because we currently have on the horizon an opportunity to enshrine in the Ohio constitution a woman’s right to obtain an abortion. The details—still forthcoming—will matter a lot; however, in principle, this is something to support.
In light of that, we (as a JCRC) will spend time doing three things in the coming months:
1) creating and amplifying opportunities in which the Jewish community can learn about and share their opinions on the issue of abortion,
2) helping to educate our community on the ballot initiatives and their potential impact, and
3) ensuring a woman’s right to an abortion is protected under law.
Friends, I know abortion is a sensitive and contentious issue. However, I look forward to some good, civil, democratic work to expand rights for Ohioans. If you disagree with this perspective, I encourage you to be in touch. That is a genuine offer, and I am eager to respectfully listen to your opinions!
Shalom Rabbi Ari,
I am saddened by your comments, especially where you denoted full personhood as a “Christian” concept. I’m sad that the subject of abortion drives a wedge between Christians — particularly pro-life Catholics, but also many Protestants — and Jews.
As a Protestant docent at the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust and Humanity Center, I have sometimes found it challenging to teach the Holocaust given my pro-life perspective. It seems like a disconnect to be telling stories of our Cincinnati survivors, and their precious lives, knowing that many in the Cincinnati Jewish community are stridently pro-abortion. It’s difficult in the Humanity Gallery to teach students that their actions are important, and that “everybody, every human being has the obligation to contribute somehow to this world” (the words of Edith Carter) when so many in Cincinnati seem to regard abortion as birth control. We seem to have come such a long way from the Clinton era of “safe, legal, and rare.” I am able to live with this tension in my work at HHC, but it’s tension just the same.
I appreciate your standing up for your beliefs. That said, I think we can ultimately achieve much more for American society by returning to the concepts of “Judeo-Christian” values and absolute truths.
Blessings,
Nadine Woodard Huffman
Anderson Township