Sammie Moshenberg, director of Washington operations for the National Council of Jewish Women, told a gathering of the Middlesex County chapter that the Supreme Court nominations made by the next president would likely determine the future of reproductive rights for women. Photo by Debra Rubin
April 08, 2008
An abortion-rights advocate said the upcoming election will likely determine the future of reproductive rights for American women.
Sammie Moshenberg, director of Washington operations for the National Council of Jewish Women, told a gathering of the Middlesex County chapter — which also includes Mercer County — that the new president will likely make two or even three nominations to the Supreme Court.
“A president serves four, maybe eight years,” she said March 16 at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick. “But Supreme Court justices serve a lifetime. They can be on that court 30 or 40 years. They will have an impact for generations to come.”
Moshenberg said the appointments of Chief Justice John Roberts in 2005 and Justice Samuel Alito in early 2006 to the high court have already led to rollbacks in a woman’s right to choose an abortion. NCJW opposed both appointments.
She said that safe access to contraception and accurate sex education, are also being threatened. Moshenberg warned that as many as eight states may have ballot initiatives this November for state constitutional amendments declaring that life begins at conception.
That type of law encroaches on religious freedoms guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution and prevents women from “making decisions based on their own common sense and religious beliefs,” said Moshenberg.
“Our religious freedom is compromised when someone else pushes their religious beliefs on us,” she added.
Although as a nonprofit NCJW cannot endorse any candidate, Moshenberg noted that the two Democratic candidates are prochoice, while Republican John McCain believes Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision affirming a women’s right to an abortion, should be overturned and the issue resolved by individual states.
NCJW’s BenchMark campaign promotes efforts to protect a women’s right to an abortion and to prevent pro-life judges from being appointed to the federal bench.
A similar NCJW initiative — Plan A — designed to “secure and protect” women’s access to contraception, was also touted by Moshenberg.
“Almost all Americans have used contraceptives at some point in their lives,” said Moshenberg. “Yet, it is something we should not take for granted.”
For a long time, NCJW did not have a position on the Iraq War because “it wasn’t our issue.”
However, she said, it “sort of became the white elephant in the room” as the organization made a connection between massive funding for the war effort and cuts to food, housing, and health programs assisting the poor and elderly. As an organization representing “compassionate Jewish women,” NCJW now firmly opposes the military effort, she said.
“The critical safety net has been frayed and torn by this president,” said Moshenberg.
During a question-and-answer period, Moshenberg touched on several other concerns, including support for Israel. She said all three presidential candidates had strong pro-Israel records in the Senate.
“Israel is the United States’ most trusted strategic partner in the Middle East,” she said. “American security depends on Israel. If they don’t already, all presidents realize this as soon as they get elected.”
Ginny Belowsky of East Brunswick, who cochaired the program with Roberta Stone, said she thought Moshenberg provided food for thought.
“She brought up a lot of good points that I know I’ll look into,” she said. “I don’t want to make my decision on a candidate based on some commercial.”
- Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com