The Reproductive Health & Rights Group (RH&RG) aims to fight for reproductive rights and abortion access through educational programming, advocacy, and fundraising.
A sampling of our past programs include:
We have advocated for reproductive rights and abortion access by coordinating with Temple Sinai’s GOTV postcarding efforts, as well as making calls to support abortion rights referendums in Maryland and other states in the November 2024 elections. Temple Sinai members have also joined rallies at the Supreme Court to support access to medication abortion and other abortion rights cases.
We continue to pursue volunteer opportunities. If you are interested in helping one of the many organizations in our area involved in this effort, you can find more information here. This list will be updated with new opportunities as we learn of them.
We have also put together a list of resources featuring national and local organizations, as well as media resources, so you can stay informed and take action on reproductive rights.
In light of the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade, the RH&RG set up an ongoing fundraising campaign for three organizations which work to provide legal support, direct support and abortion access for people around the country: Baltimore Abortion Fund, NCJW’s Jewish Fund for Abortion Access, and If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice.
This fundraising campaign raised over $38,000. While this campaign formally ended in February 2024, you can learn more and find links to donate here.
Our annual Maj Fun Day, hosted by TSWRJ (Temple Sinai’s Sisterhood) in conjunction with RH&RG, raises funds for local organizations providing abortion access. Previous recipients include Meadow Health and Wellness Clinic in Fairfax, VA (2024) and the three organizations previously listed (2023). 2025’s Maj Fun Day will benefit the Red Tent Fund, with whom Temple Sinai recently became a congregational partner.
Michelle Engelmann, Co-Chair
rjh500@aol.com
Laura Blum Meisnere, Co-Chair
laura@meisnere.com
Rabbi Hannah Goldstein delivered a sermon on Rosh Hashanah (2022), in the aftermath of the Supreme Court decision striking down Roe V. Wade, on making a commitment to create something new, and sacred and beautiful (“Today the work is conceived. Hayom harat olam.”). You can read this powerful sermon here, urging us to push through this ongoing emergency where we have lost our right to make decisions about our bodies and our health care.
Rabbi Fred N. Reiner, Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Sinai, wrote a brief article on when life begins in response to the recent Supreme Court decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The thoughtful piece is available to read here.
Rabbi Mindy Portnoy, Rabbi Emerita of Temple Sinai, testified on abortion to the U.S Senate Committee of the Judiciary on December 7, 1981. This testimony was delivered on behalf of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
Reproductive Health and Rights is working with Jews United for Justice (JUFJ) to advocate for full funding of the Birth to Three for All DC Act. This legislation provides a framework for increasing the quality and affordability of early education, particularly for vulnerable families, as well as providing equitable wages for early educators, who are overwhelmingly Black and brown women. If you would like to learn more, please contact Michelle Engelmann.