Yesterday, on Shabbos, I listened to a guest speaker in shul advocate for their abortion rights nonprofit and promote a public policy agenda centered on the “right” to abortion.

The speaker, who was neither a rabbi nor an authority on Judaism, used religious terminology merely as a pretext for an ideology framed in the language of “social justice.”

This felt deeply misplaced, as Judaism does not recognize a universal “right” to abortion; rather, it treats the subject as one requiring careful discernment and complex legal evaluation across all denominations.

This dissonance was particularly painful for me because of my own history. I previously faced a severe bout of hyperemesis gravidarum—constant, debilitating morning sickness—that led to a doctor’s recommendation for the procedure.

Because I was hospitalized and physically suffering, the medical system viewed the abortion as a morally neutral, convenient solution to discharge me.

Yet, for me, it was never an easy or clear decision. It was a deeply private matter in which no rabbi was involved, and to this day, no authority can provide the closure or reassurance that the decision was objectively “right.”

When liberal feminists like the speaker claim that it is the mother’s body and the mother’s right, they reduced a profound, life-altering experience to a slogan.

This rhetoric ignores the complexities of the human condition and fails to acknowledge that there were other paths, such as remaining hospitalized for the duration of the pregnancy, which were not presented as viable options at the time.

It is frustrating to hear this liberal feminist perspective presented from the pulpit as if it were synonymous with Judaism.

Judaism is a religion, not a political platform!

Using the bimah to advocate for secular public policy—while simultaneously ignoring the separation of church and state—is entirely inappropriate.

Shul is meant to be a space for davening to HaShem, not a social club, a platform for political agendas, or a venue where wealthy donors are afforded undue influence and prestige.

After the speech, I engaged with the young woman who gave it. She obviously was sincere, principled, and meant well.

I shared my own experience and asked if her organization offered counseling to women who were considering the procedure.

No, we just help them get the procedure if they’ve decided they need it, she said.

Respectfully, I asked her to think about it.