Statements

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on Military Response to Protests

Posted on June 12, 2025 by The CCAR

June 12, 2025

The Central Conference of American Rabbis condemns the White House’s deployment of the United States Armed Forces to combat largely peaceful protests in Los Angeles. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution protects “the right of the people peaceably to assemble” and “to petition the Government for redress of grievances”—that is, to the constitutional right of Americans to assemble and protest. Moreover, American law expressly forbids the deployment of our military “for the purpose of executing the laws, except … as expressly authorized by the Constitution or by an act of Congress.”^[1] No such military action has been authorized.

Demonstrators have gathered to protest workplace immigration enforcement on a scale unprecedented in American history. The CCAR has a long record of opposing “the punitive enforcement-only approach to illegal residents that would result in deportations without access to a fair process that considers the circumstances of the individual or that co-opts the use of local law enforcement to meet federal … obligations.” Moreover, the CCAR is committed “to advocacy for an immigration law that will not only improve border security and immigration law enforcement, but will also provide for guest workers and for a just and fair path to citizenship for those now in the country without legal documentation.”^[2]

Military action against protestors will serve only to enflame demonstrations in Los Angeles and wherever they may spread. Protestors, too, are responsible for keeping the peace. While violence has been minimal, graffiti and more serious vandalism have accompanied these protests. Reform rabbis call on demonstrators to remain peaceful and respectful of all persons and property.

Torah commands, צדק צדק תרדף, (Tzedek, tzedek tirdof), “Justice, justice shall you pursue.”^[3] The repetition of the word צדק indicates that justice, the execution of law, must be carried out by just means. Deploying the military to quell protest is not a just method of enforcing immigration law.

The CCAR commends its members in Los Angeles who have raised their voices against both the large-scale workplace immigration enforcement and the deployment of military forces to quell demonstrations. The CCAR pledges support to its members and the communities they serve at this time of crisis.

Reform rabbis call on President Trump to withdraw troops from the streets of Los Angeles and to work with state and local governments to restore calm and peace in one of America’s great cities. We renew our demand that Congress take up comprehensive immigration reform, securing America’s borders while according dignity to every person residing within them.

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

Posse Comitatus Act of 1878. ↑
CCAR Resolution on Immigration Reform, June 2006, https://www.ccarnet.org/ccar-resolutions/immigration-reform/. ↑
Deuteronomy 16:20. ↑

CCAR statements are grounded in the history of CCAR resolutions and platforms. We strive to represent the overall voice of the CCAR leadership and the Reform rabbinate on critical issues of the day. The CCAR is a diverse community of rabbis, and we recognize the multiplicity of viewpoints that exist within our membership. We encourage those of differing perspectives to engage in respectful dialogue. It is our hope that these statements provide the Reform community with deeper understanding of important issues that impact our lives as Jews and as global citizens.

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CCAR Joins Jewish Organizational Coalition in a New Statement Rejecting False Choice Between Jewish Safety and Democracy

Posted on April 15, 2025 by The CCAR

April 15, 2025

The CCAR joined a coalition along with the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, the Union for Reform Judaism, National Council of Jewish Women, American Conference of Cantors, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, Rabbinical Assembly, Reconstructing Judaism, and Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association to release the following statement.

The rule of law, freedom of inquiry, access to vibrant places of higher education, and strong democratic norms and institutions have allowed American Jewry to thrive for hundreds of years.

There should be no doubt that antisemitism is rising—visible, chilling, and increasingly normalized in our public discourse, politics, and institutions. It requires urgent and consistent action by our nation’s political, academic, religious, and civic leaders. At the same time, we firmly reject the false choice between confronting antisemitism and upholding democracy. Our safety as Jews has always been tied to the rule of law, to the safety of others, to the strength of civil society, and to the protection of rights and liberties for all.

At this moment, Jews are being targeted and held collectively accountable for the actions of a foreign government. Jews are being pushed out of certain movements, classrooms, and communities for expressing a connection to their heritage or to the Jewish homeland. And, horrifically, some voices in the public square are justifying or celebrating the murder of Jews. Dangerous antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories that over the past decade have already fueled a cycle of hate crimes and violence—including the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history in Pittsburgh—have been mainstreamed by too many political leaders, civil society influencers, social media platforms, and others.

In recent weeks, escalating federal actions have used the guise of fighting antisemitism to justify stripping students of due process rights when they face arrest and/or deportation, as well as to threaten billions in academic research and education funding. Students have been arrested at home and on the street with no transparency as to why they are being held or deported, and in certain cases with the implication that they are being punished for their constitutionally-protected speech. Universities have an obligation to protect Jewish students, and the federal government has an important role to play in that effort; however, sweeping draconian funding cuts will weaken the free academic inquiry that strengthens democracy and society, rather than productively counter antisemitism on campus.

These actions do not make Jews—or any community—safer. Rather, they only make us less safe.

We reject any policies or actions that foment or take advantage of antisemitism and pit communities against one another; and we unequivocally condemn the exploitation of our community’s real concerns about antisemitism to undermine democratic norms and rights, including the rule of law, the right of due process, and/or the freedoms of speech, press, and peaceful protest.

It is both possible and necessary to fight antisemitism—on campus, in our communities, and across the country—without abandoning the democratic values that have allowed Jews, and so many other vulnerable minorities, to thrive.

We appreciate the civil society, academic, and local, state, and national leaders who are committed to seriously and thoughtfully addressing the threat of antisemitism. We remain committed to working alongside university leadership and public officials at every level to ensure policies and practices that protect the Jewish community as well as other marginalized communities and uphold for all people the principles of justice, fairness, and equal protection under the law. That is the only path to true safety.

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Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement of Concern for Vulnerable Colleagues, Our Families, and the Communities We Serve

Posted on April 8, 2025 by The CCAR

April 8, 2025

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is deeply concerned about the welfare of its members, its members’ families, and members of the communities we serve whose lives, health, homes, and livelihoods have been placed at risk by executive orders and proclamations issued by the current administration since it took office in January, 2025.

Our Talmudic sages taught that the needs of one’s own community take precedence over the needs of those who are more distant.[i] We therefore begin by addressing needs in our own community. Awareness of risk to members of our own communities enhances our consciousness of and sensitivity to similar concerns throughout American society.

Some CCAR members and their immediate family members are foreign citizens who are living, working, and going to school in the United States, legally. In addition, the communities we serve include immigrants and refugees who possess a wide variety of legal statuses, including some whose immigration status is undocumented. All of these CCAR members and members of our communities are living in fear. Rabbis are often outspoken about a variety of issues, not always in ways that align with the current government or any that came before it. When immigrants who are in the United States legally are detained and threatened with deportation because of unpopular public advocacy, even advocacy we abhor,[ii] we fear for the rights of our immigrant colleagues. Can they continue exercising the American right of free speech without risking deportation, separation from their families, and loss of livelihood? The communities we serve may also include immigrants who have committed minor infractions that make them vulnerable to deportation, even if the offense is not punishable by incarceration. We are concerned for them all—and for millions more like them, beyond our immediate sphere.

Some CCAR members are transgender or nonbinary. Still more are parents of transgender and nonbinary children. The communities we serve embrace transgender and nonbinary people of all ages, including children who are receiving life-saving, gender affirming medical care under the care of their physicians and their parents. President Trump has erased the identities of transgender and nonbinary Americans, deriding those identities as results of a supposedly radical, dangerous, and false ideology rather than as expression of who they know themselves and their children to be. He has sanctioned discrimination and persecution of transgender and nonbinary Americans.[iii] Now, in his Proclamation of Child Abuse Prevention Month,[iv] President Trump has labeled gender affirming care as child abuse. With this proclamation, the President of the United States has threatened the removal of children from the parents who love them and parents from the children upon whom they lavish their loving care. His words may even be understood to threaten the prosecution and incarceration of parents and healthcare professionals who are providing that lifesaving care to children entrusted to their care.

Some CCAR members, members of their families, and the communities we serve are Jews of Color. From his first day in office President Trump has indiscriminately ended Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts within, and well beyond, the United States government.[v] In the span of these three months, the horrific experience of Black Americans from the time their ancestors were first brought to these shores is being denied or minimized, and fewer People of Color are being represented in the leadership fabric of American life. Jews of Color legitimately fear resurging segregation and discrimination. Moreover, as with all People of Color in the United States, Jews of Color are increasingly suspected of being immigrants and refugees, potentially subject to deportation.

While few CCAR members are federal civil servants, some have spouses or other family members who are. So, too, are a significant number of members of the communities we serve, heavily concentrated in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area but spread across the nation. The lives of federal civil servants and their families have been cast into chaos, with more than a quarter million having lost their jobs in the first quarter of 2025,[vi] and many more legitimately fearing that they could be next. People of Color, including Jews of Color in our communities, are disproportionately affected by these draconian and often arbitrary reductions in the federal workforce, having long been overrepresented among federal civil servants, because they have faced less workplace racial discrimination in government than in the private sector.[vii]

Some CCAR members are disabled, are immunocompromised, are gay men or lesbians, and/or are members of other vulnerable minorities who have reason to feel threatened by actions that President Trump and his administration have taken or have suggested are forthcoming. Members of Reform rabbis’ families and the communities we serve, which includes Jews and people with other identities, are equally vulnerable. Our history has taught us that whenever vulnerable minorities are attacked, Jews will ultimately be vulnerable because we are Jewish.

Attacking members of vulnerable minority communities betrays the promise of America. As President and Chief Executive of the Central Conference of American Rabbis, we call upon President Trump and his administration to stop harming our colleagues, members of their families, and members of the communities we serve, among all Americans whose identities make them vulnerable. In the meantime, Reform rabbis urgently call upon Congress and our courts to uphold American values, respect each unique American identity, and protect all law-abiding citizens of this great nation, especially those who are most vulnerable.

Rabbi David A. Lyon, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

[i] Bava M’tzia 71a.

[ii] Reform Movement Statement on Importance of Law and Due Process, March 12, 2025, https://urj.org/press-room/reform-movement-statement-importance-rule-law-and-due-process.

[iii] President Donald J. Trump, Defending Women [sic] from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth [sic] to the Federal Government, January 20, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/defending-women-from-gender-ideology-extremism-and-restoring-biological-truth-to-the-federal-government/.

[iv] President Donald J. Trump, Proclamation of National Child Abuse Awareness Month, April 3, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/national-child-abuse-prevention-month-2025/#:~:text=We%20affirm%20that%20every%20perpetrator,Liberty%20generations%20into%20the%20future.

[v]President Donald J. Trump, Ending Radical [sic] and Wasteful [sic] Government DEI Programs And Preferencing, January 20, 2025, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-radical-and-wasteful-government-dei-programs-and-preferencing/.

[vi] Andy Medici, “How many federal employees have lost their jobs so far in 2025?”, Houston Business Journal and KHOU-11 Houston, April 3, 2025, https://www.khou.com/article/money/business/houston-business-journal/2025-federal-government-job-cut-total/285-55fcc5ed-8279-46dd-b569-ceadde0cbae8.

[vii] Terry Collins and Philip M. Bailey, “Federal jobs were seen as a gateway to the middle class for Black America, then came DOGE,” USA Today, March 24, 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/03/24/defund-black-federal-jobs-trump-musk-doge/81751847007/.

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Reform Movement Statement on the Election of Donald J. Trump and An Open Letter to President Trump

Posted on November 6, 2024 by The CCAR

November 6, 2024

Donald J. Trump has been elected as the 47th President of the United States. We hope and pray that he will be a president for all Americans, advancing the principles of democracy, justice, and commitment to rule of law that have been sources of strength for our nation throughout its history.

We stand ready to join with the new Administration and Congress on any efforts to protect “the orphan, the widow, and the stranger.” We will be allies to any serious effort to combat antisemitism. We will champion a strong U.S.-Israel relationship that fosters democracy and security for the Jewish state while upholding the rights and well-being of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the West Bank.

At the same time, we will adamantly oppose any further efforts to eviscerate reproductive rights. We will resist any attempt to target the safety and rights of the LGBTQ+ community. We will defend the security of immigrants and the right to claim asylum. We will reject initiatives that have the effect of harming communities of Color. We will counter any steps that undermine the health of our air, water, and land.

We are also deeply concerned by statements President Trump has made about the weaponization of political power against individuals – including political opponents – and institutions that are core to our democracy, such as the press. And above all, we urge an end to the repeated demeaning of women, the use of hateful language against those who hold different views, and the persistent coarsening of our political culture.

Americans across the political spectrum must stand firm against such attacks. The courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, will have a unique responsibility to ensure that the principle of equal justice is upheld. To that end, we will speak forcefully against any judicial nominee whose record suggests they are prepared to abandon constitutional norms.

We are proud that, through the Reform Movement’s non-partisan Every Voice, Every Vote campaign, our activists contacted 750,000 voters in a campaign rooted in the knowledge that we create a safe future for ourselves and for all people by working together to strengthen our democracy.

Published by the Religious Action Center on behalf of the Reform Movement.

Open Letter to President Trump

Add your name to this open letter to President Trump, spotlighting key policy issues of concern and praying that in his next term, he will advance the principles of justice and commitment to rule of law that have been sources of strength for our nation.

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement On the Anniversary of the Hamas Massacre of October 7, 2023

Posted on October 7, 2024 by The CCAR

October 7, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis marks the first anniversary of Hamas’s barbaric October 7 massacre. On that bitter day, Hamas murdered twelve hundred Israelis and foreign nationals living among them, and took hundreds more into brutal captivity. The year that has passed since last October 7 has been one of grief and resolve. We have experienced fear for the well-being of our people in Israel and horror at the growing antisemitism in North America and around the world.

Throughout the last year, we have also been inspired by the Israeli spirit, as untold thousands of ordinary citizens responded to their country’s needs. Israelis have served in the Israel Defense Forces during this time of war, while their loved ones worried and persevered at home. They have mobilized to meet the needs of over one hundred thousand of their fellow citizens who are displaced from their homes. They have volunteered in fields and hothouses to ensure Israel’s food security at a time when many agricultural workers became suddenly unavailable. They took to the streets and raised their voices in support of a deal liberating the hostages.

While we hold on to these moments of hope and resolve, we also grieve that Israelis—Jews, Arabs, Bedouin, Druze, and others in their midst—have endured repeated bombardments from a horrifying array of terrorist forces, all backed, led, and supplied by Iran. Israelis have hurried to their safe rooms and bomb shelters as sirens blared and rockets, drones, and missiles streaked overhead. These weapons of war have been fired by Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, and the Iranian regime itself. Meanwhile, much of the world has vilified Israel.

And we grieve as well the loss of thousands of innocent people caught in the crossfire, who despite all efforts, perished in the horrible consequences of a war Israel did not choose, in battles we wish Israel did not have to wage.

Reform rabbis worldwide stand in awe of our Israeli colleagues, CCAR rabbis who are also members of MARAM, the Council of Israeli Reform Rabbis. They have been on the front lines—some of them literally, serving in the reserves or sending their children to serve; all of them, caring for their communities and their nation. MARAM members, some of them displaced from their homes and all grieving unspeakable personal losses, have traveled the length and breadth of Israel to provide spiritual comfort, raise their prophetic voices, and sustain hope.

Throughout the diaspora, CCAR rabbis have led their communities through the challenges of confronting Israel’s existential crisis with sensitivity and compassion. We have raised our voices in diverse ways. We have faced antisemitism, and we have combated it. We have provided sorely needed Israel education, within and beyond Jewish communities. We have sought to provide the words, in poetry and prose, in worship, and in countless hours of counseling, to help ease the spiritual wounds our people have suffered. Some of us serve on college and university campuses, providing a haven and solace to Jewish students, faculty, and staff under siege. Many CCAR rabbis have traveled to Israel during this difficult year—demonstrating solidarity, learning with and supporting our Israeli colleagues, bearing witness to the horror, and providing valuable volunteer service.

In the days leading up to this tragic anniversary, as we prepared to observe Rosh HaShanah, our people in Israel suffered unprecedented ballistic missile attacks from Iran. We sadly acknowledge that this time of war and terror will extend well into the new year. The Central Conference of America Rabbis will continue to be here, standing by the people of Israel at the most difficult of times, even as we yearn to celebrate together in better days to come.

Rabbi Erica Asch, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement Condemning Donald Trump’s Dangerous Antisemitic Campaign Rhetoric

Posted on September 23, 2024 by Tamar Anitai

September 23, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is grateful that both major candidates in the 2024 United States Presidential Election, Vice President Kamala Harris and Former President Donald Trump—together with their running mates—have taken strong stances in response to antisemitism. Antisemitism is a significant and growing problem in the United States, finding a welcome home at both the extreme right and left of the political spectrum.

At the same time, the Central Conference of American Rabbis strongly condemn Former President Trump’s repeated claims that Jewish Americans who vote for Vice President Harris would do so only because they suffer from mental illness and that American Jews would be to blame if Former President Trump did not prevail.[i]

The former claim fails to recognize that Jewish Americans, like all voters, have a variety of issues, both domestic and internal, which inform whom they will support this election. We also denounce the claim that Second Gentlemen Doug Emhoff is not a good Jew.[ii] Jews practice Judaism in a variety of ways and it is not the role of our leaders to judge and disparage how people practice their religion.

We are most troubled by the inflammatory claim that American Jews will be at fault if Former President Trump does not win the election. Falsely claiming that Jews, who represent less than 3% of Americans, will single handedly determine the winner of the election plays into age-old antisemitic lies about Jewish power. Former President Trump’s rhetoric relies on what Ambassador Deborah Lipstadt has called the “antisemitic conspiracy myth” that Jews enjoy disproportionate power and exercise outsized control in and beyond America.[iii] This dangerous rhetoric seeks to target the Jewish community at a time of heightened antisemitism. It is part of a disturbing pattern of Former President Trump attacking those who disagree with him.

It should go without saying that American Jews, no matter which party they support, are loyal Americans. While we condemn these baseless attacks, we also encourage all Jews to vote in the upcoming election and to support non-partisan get out the vote efforts. Our democracy depends on the participation of all citizens of our country.

Rabbi Erica Asch, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

[i] https://www.axios.com/2024/09/20/trump-jewish-voters-antisemitism-election.

[ii] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-claims-harris-whos-married-to-a-jewish-man-doesnt-like-jewish-people.

[iii] https://www.cfr.org/event/conversation-us-special-envoy-monitor-and-combat-antisemitism-deborah-lipstadt.

Central Conference of American Rabbis Statement on Blood Libel Directed at Haitian Immigrants

Posted on September 20, 2024 by The CCAR

September 20, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is appalled by the false statements of Former President Donald J. Trump and Senator J.D. Vance, candidates for President and Vice President of the United States, claiming that Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio have stolen, killed, and eaten house pets. The claim endangers members of the Haitian immigrant community in and beyond Springfield. These false claims have created extensive turmoil in that city, which has welcomed these immigrants, the vast majority of whom are in the United States legally.[i] We are horrified that Senator Vance continued publicizing these statements even after his staff was told they were false.[ii]

Disregard for the truth is repugnant to the Jewish people, who have historically been victims of such lies. Our Talmudic sages taught, “God’s seal is truth.”[iii] Across several centuries, Jewish people were the target of blood libels, fictitious and fabricated claims that Jews murdered Christian children to use their blood to make matzah, the unleavened bread we are commanded to eat on Passover. Countless Jews were murdered by those who believed these lies.[iv] Today as a new set of lies is being spread, we fear for the welfare of the Haitian immigrant community and all who live in Springfield. The impact of these lies reaches beyond Springfield to cast suspicion on immigrants all over the United States.

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is grateful for the work of CCAR rabbis in and beyond Ohio who are working to welcome immigrants and combat hateful rhetoric. Reform rabbis across America are speaking out against the blood libels and offering their support to all the residents of Springfield.

The CCAR calls upon Former President Trump and Senator Vance to retract their libelous claims and act to protect all the people of Springfield, Ohio, including Haitian immigrants.

Rabbi Erica Asch, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

[i] https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4888505-springfield-emergency-proclamation-public-safety/.

[ii] https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/vance-false-claims-haitian-migrants-after-aide-told/story?id=113821189

[iii] Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 55a.

[iv] https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/blood-libel.

Central Conference of American Rabbis Mourns Rabbi Arnold I. Sher, z”l

Posted on September 16, 2024 by The CCAR

September 16, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis grieves the death of our beloved Director of Placement Emeritus Rabbi Arnold I. Sher. Rabbi Sher actively served the CCAR and each of its members with friendship and devotion for eighteen years, 1990 to 2008.

While many have been called “a rabbi’s rabbi,” and Rabbi Sher certainly was one, he was also the rabbinate’s rabbi. As Director of Placement for Reform Judaism, he committed himself to the rabbinic and personal well-being of his individual colleagues and their families. At the same time, he focused his energies and his intellect on the betterment of the rabbinate as a whole and of the congregations we serve.

Rabbi Sher brought to his position both the insights and wisdom gleaned from his years as a successful congregational rabbi and the unique skills and knowledge gained from his training as an attorney. Those gifts combined with a profound dedication to rabbis, to congregations, and to Reform Judaism enabled him to offer wise advice and much sought-after guidance. He blended care and compassion with realism and seichel (common sense), as he counseled congregations and colleagues.

Just as important, when the CCAR needed a steadying hand, a reassuring presence, and a wise mind in a time of turmoil, Rabbi Sher, at great sacrifice to himself in time and energy, chose to take on added burdens and responsibilities. As interim executive vice-president, he helped to guide the CCAR through a troubled time. For Reform rabbis, he was truly gadol bador, a towering figure of his or any generation.ⁱ

The CCAR extends its profound condolences to Rabbi Sher’s beloved wife, Serena, to their children and grandchildren, extended family and friends, and to their congregational family at Congregation B’nai Israel of Bridgeport, Connecticut, where Rabbi Sher had been named rabbi emeritus. The memory of Rabbi Arnold I. Sher is a blessing to the Central Conference of American Rabbis and Reform rabbis everywhere.

Rabbi Erica Asch, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Rabbi Steven A. Fox, Chief Executive Emeritus

Central Conference of American Rabbis

Reform Jewish Leaders Condemn the Murder of Six Hostages by Hamas in Gaza

Posted on September 1, 2024 by The CCAR

September 1, 2024

“A cry is heard in Ramah—wailing, bitter weeping—Rachel weeping for her children. She refuses to be comforted for her children, who are gone.” Jeremiah 31:15

We join with millions around the world, including the tens of thousands of Israelis currently pouring into the streets, who are expressing their grief and anger over the murders of six hostages at the hands of Hamas—Hersh Goldberg-Polin, an Israeli-American citizen, and Carmel Gat, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Almog Sarusi, and Alexander Lobanov.

Earlier this year, Hersh’s mother, Rachel, spoke to our Reform movement about her beloved son. No mother could have been a more passionate, articulate, and dedicated champion for her child. Rachel and her husband, Jon, have been unrelenting in their advocacy for Hersh and the other hostages taken on October 7. In their powerful speech at the Democratic National Convention last week, the Goldberg-Polins shared with millions of Americans their love for their son and their pain and anguish over the suffering of the hostages along with the civilians in Gaza.

The murder of these six innocent people was an act of savage cowardice. The pure, unmitigated evil of Hamas, on display to the world in the killing of 1200 people, the abduction of 250 others, and the torture and sexual assault of hundreds more on October 7^th, must be unequivocally condemned. This latest act of brutality and violence only serves to cause more suffering for both Israelis and the innocent Gazans living under Hamas’s violent control.

At this moment of terrible tragedy, we reiterate our strong call for Prime Minister Netanyahu to heed the voices of the hostages’ families and the millions of Israeli citizens calling on him to not leave the remaining hostages behind and, instead, negotiate for a new ceasefire and hostage deal. Every minute the hostages remain in captivity threatens their chances of survival.

No more families should suffer the pain felt today by the Goldberg-Polins and the families of Carmel, Eden, Ori, Almog, and Alexander. The memories of those murdered by Hamas will be a blessing, always. We pray for comfort for the bereaved and strength for the hostages still held captive.

Union for Reform Judaism
Shelley Niceley Groff (she/her), Chair
Rabbi Rick Jacobs (he/him), President

American Conference of Cantors
Cantor Seth Warner (he/him), President
Rachel Roth (she/her), Chief Operating Officer

Central Conference of American Rabbis
Rabbi Erica Asch (she/her), President
Rabbi Hara E. Person (she/her), Chief Executive

Women of Reform Judaism
Karen Sim (she/her), President
Rabbi Liz P. G. Hirsch (she/her), CEO

Central Conference of American Rabbis Condemns Alabama Supreme Court Ruling on the Status of Embryos

Posted on February 26, 2024 by Tamar Anitai

February 26, 2024

The Central Conference of American Rabbis is appalled by a recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that frozen embryos should be considered as children, and therefore, that destroying an embryo frozen for in vitro fertilization in a laboratory constitutes actionable death of a minor child. This ruling further attenuates reproductive freedom in a state where people must already travel great distances to access the full range of reproductive care. Alabama and neighboring states already enforce a total abortion ban or severely restrict abortion rights. This ruling means that residents of Alabama must now travel to access in vitro fertilization (IVF) in addition to reproductive healthcare.

As a result of this Supreme Court ruling, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, the state’s largest hospital, has suspended all IVF procedures. Additionally, two other centers have suspended IVF procedures, which is critical medical care for some individuals and couples who face challenges to their fertility.

In his concurring opinion, Alabama Chief Justice Tom Parker makes explicit that the Court’s ruling is a religious, not a legal, act. He quotes Christian theologians, including John Calvin and St. Thomas Aquinas extensively, and concludes: “Even before birth, all human beings have the image of God, and their lives cannot be destroyed without effacing his [sic] glory.”^[1] This ruling is therefore a violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibits the establishment of a state religion.

Our Talmudic sages understood that an embryo had the potential to grow into a person and also held the potential of not developing. They declared that “the embryo is considered to be mere water until the fortieth day [after conception].”^[2] Judaism does not grant the status of personhood to an embryo or fetus at any stage of pregnancy.^[3] Moreover, p’ru ur’vu, the mitzvah to be fruitful and multiply, is among the highest blessings in our tradition. Therefore, Jewish authorities across the ideological spectrum strongly support the availability of reproductive endocrinology to assist individuals and couples struggling with infertility.

Reform rabbis do not ask that Jewish law be enshrined in the laws of the United States or any state. We demand, however, that individuals in this free country be permitted to make their own choice about engaging the use of in vitro fertilization and other reproductive technologies. The government should not limit their choices in this matter. Indeed, many Reform rabbis and members of our communities have welcomed children into their families through the use of in vitro fertilization. The Central Conference of American Rabbis condemns the Alabama Supreme Court’s ruling in the strongest terms. We call upon our members to support those who are impacted by this ruling, to let our elected officials know of our strong objection to the court’s decision and to work to pass legislation that affirms that frozen embryos are not people. We further call on the United States Supreme Court to overturn this decision forthwith.

Rabbi Erica Asch, President
Rabbi Hara E. Person, Chief Executive
Central Conference of American Rabbis

^[1] Le Page v. Center for Reproductive Medicine, P.C., Supreme Court of Alabama, February 16, 2024, https://law.justia.com/cases/alabama/supreme-court/2024/sc-2022-0579.html.

^[2] Babylonian Talmud, Y’vamot 69b.

^[3] Exodus 21:22–23, Mishnah Ohalot 7.6.