The Kansas City Section of The National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) and Congregation Beth Shalom will host Dr. Michal Raucher at its first Repro Shabbat event on Feb. 21 and 22.
Repro Shabbat is an annual Shabbat celebration that honors the Jewish value of reproductive freedom. It takes place on the week of reading Torah parshat Mishpatim, which contains the verses commonly referenced as the foundation of Judaism’s approach to reproductive health, rights and justice.
Dr. Raucher is an associate professor of Jewish studies at Rutgers University. Her research lies at the intersection of the anthropology of women in Judaism, reproductive ethics and religious authority. As a Fulbright Fellow, Dr. Raucher conducted research on the reproductive ethics of Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewish women in Israel. Her first book, “Conceiving Agency: Reproductive Authority among Haredi Women,” is based on this research. Dr. Raucher is working on her second book, “The New Rabbis,” exploring how women's religious authority is changing American Orthodoxy.
Dr. Raucher is currently conducting research on abortion and religion in America. Since 2021, she has been interviewing Jews who have had abortions. Her team has interviewed over 100 Jews who have had abortions since 1973, and they will be publishing their findings in the coming months.
Repro Shabbat will start on Friday, Feb. 21, with services at 6 p.m. at Congregation Beth Shalom (14200 Lamar Ave, Overland Park, KS 66223) followed by dinner at 7 p.m. Thereafter, Dr. Raucher will speak about religious perspectives on abortion and the history of advocacy in reproductive health, including within the Jewish community.
On Saturday morning, Dr. Raucher will speak after Kiddush on the topic of, “What do we talk about when we talk about 'reproductive justice'?”
Shabbat dinner prices are partially subsidized by the Jewish Community Foundation. RSVPs and payments must be done by Feb. 7 at tinyurl.com/CBSReproShabbat.
