All of us are aware of WRJ’s commitment to social justice. A big part of this is our work in advocacy on behalf of women throughout the world and their human rights. We stand up!

Below is a press release that was issued by WRJ on October 6, 2018. WRJ is providing our global voice… now it is time for each of us as individuals to act, as our hearts and minds dictate, in the voting booth! If you have any questions, please contact Midwest District Advocacy Chair,  Marilyn Glazer .

Upon the confirmation by the U.S. Senate of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, Rabbi Marla J. Feldman, Executive Director of Women of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:

The elevation of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court is a shameful example of the dysfunction of our leadership and the need for women to stand in solidarity behind the victims of sexual assault. While we may never know what happened in that room the night so painfully described by Dr. Ford, we do know that, like too many victims of sexual assault, her trauma was exacerbated by being mocked and doubted. That the leaders of this nation were responsible for that treatment is a travesty. Failure to fully investigate her claims is yet another assault, not only against her, but against all women who will be affected by Judge Kavanaugh’s lifetime appointment to the Court.

Women of Reform Judaism, representing tens of thousands of progressive Jewish women, opposed Judge Kavanaugh’s appointment, along with others in the Reform Jewish Movement, as early as July 2018. We did so on the basis of his record and our longstanding positions on such issues as reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, and separation of church and state. We stand by that position on the basis of his record, and now also on the basis of his inappropriate temperament, which is ill-suited to a lifetime appointment on the highest court of our nation.

Our outrage today, however, is not directed at Judge Kavanaugh, but at the U.S. Senators who allowed the hearings to devolve into partisanship and obfuscation. In that, there is blame to be shared on both sides of the aisle. The American people deserve better.

Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) , founded in 1913, is the women’s affiliate of the Union for Reform Judaism, the central body of Reform Judaism in North America. WRJ represents tens of thousands of women in hundreds of women’s groups,  s trengthening the voice of women worldwide and empowering them to create caring communities, nurture congregations, cultivate personal and spiritual growth, and advocate for and promote progressive Jewish values.
###
Published: 10/06/2018