The following op-ed was originally published in the Houston Chronicle on February 10, 2021
In 1952 my grandmother, Audrey, was 20 years old. She had recently married my grandfather and they were living in Connecticut while he finished school. A few weeks into her first pregnancy, she contracted German measles (rubella) — a condition that put her pregnancy at great risk for complications and severe birth defects. Far away from family and support, my grandparents struggled to determine the right thing to do.
Finally, a doctor looked her in the eyes and said, “If you were my daughter, I would not let you carry this pregnancy to term.”
Now 70 years later, Audrey can still remember the certainty and clarity the doctor gave her on that day. They were referred to a doctor in Boston who would perform the procedure. He admitted her to the hospital under the guise that she had already miscarried. Though she had fears, she tells me she never had any regret over the decision to terminate that first pregnancy. And she never hesitated to tell that story, in the hopes that it would make a difference.
As her grandson, I grew up hearing hear story. As a congregational rabbi, I feel a responsibility to tell this story from our pulpit. As a religious leader, I believe I have an obligation to speak truth in our sacred spaces that resonates with the stories of people’s lives.
One in four Americans who can become pregnant will have an abortion by age 45.
Audrey’s story still resonates for many in my congregation. Some people who have abortions tell family and friends. Others, like my grandmother, share the story even more broadly. But too many have been forced to feel a sense of shame over their decision to end a pregnancy and told almost no one.
On Friday night, I will participate in National Council of Jewish Women’s Repro Shabbat initiative by sharing my grandmother’s story, along with my own views on abortion in the Jewish tradition. It is my hope that this sermon will help to destigmatize this sacred and life-affirming decision and encourage others to share their stories as well.
Judaism not only permits abortion, but even requires it when life is at stake. As a rabbi in the Reform Jewish movement, I also preach that our power and responsibility to make ethical choices is a gift from God. Moreover, building a just society is ultimately a Jewish concern. We must not remain quiet while barriers to health care place any individual’s health, well-being, autonomy or economic security at risk.
As a participant in the Rabbis for Repro initiative and president of the Faith Leader’s Coalition of Greater Houston, I advocate for the protection of all people of faith in Houston to practice their religions freely. Any law that limits a person’s ability to access abortion or reproductive health services limits their ability to practice their faith, and thus violates the First Amendment’s protections of separation of church and state.
Leaders of all faiths have a powerful platform to use in speaking out in support of reproductive health, rights and justice. It is vital that our elected officials hear from people of all backgrounds and beliefs to show that people of faith are against the sustained and coordinated attack against these constitutional rights.
As we enter into this new legislative session, I call on our state elected officials to legislate in a way that protects the rights of all Texans to practice their faith and make decisions about their bodies without fear of government intrusion or coercion. And I call on all Texans to speak out in support of reproductive justice.
Through her openness, my grandmother modeled for me the divine power that comes when people share their truth. As a faith leader I will continue to find ways to empower others to share their own sacred stories of birth, loss, abortion and infertility. I truly believe that when we can affirm these stories as natural, human, love-filled experiences, we can begin to transform our lives as we work to build a city, state and country that demonstrates the values of liberty and justice for all.
Fixler is an associate rabbi at Congregation Emanu El in Houston, president of the Faith Leader’s Coalition of Greater Houston and a participant in National Council of Jewish Women’s Repro Shabbat initiative.