Rhoda Smolow, national president of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, CEO Naomi Adler and the leaders of 31 other American Jewish organizations sent a letter to Congress on Monday outlining the disproportionate impact of infertility on the Jewish community and urging legislators to support H.Res. 345.
Sponsored by Hadassah, the bipartisan resolution calls for policies that will increase infertility research, improve treatments and expand access to infertility services.
The legislation was introduced on April 28 by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Flas.) and Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas).
Among the 31 Jewish organizations joining Hadassah are A TIME/A Torah Infertility Medium of Exchange; Agudath Israel of America; B’nai B’rith International; Bonei Olam; Chava/Programs and Services for all Women’s Reproductive Health; Coalition for Jewish Values; Hasidah; HUG/Hope Understanding and Guidance for Pregnancy Loss; I Was Supposed to Have a Baby; Jewish Council for Public Affairs; Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia; Jewish Fertility Foundation; Jewish Labor Committee; Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance; Jewish War Veterans; Jewish Women International; NA’AMAT USA; National Council of Jewish Women; Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies; Orthodox Union; Priya Kansas City; PUAH; Rabbinical Assembly; Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; Stardust Jewish Fertility Association; Tzedek Association; Union for Reform Judaism; Women of Reform Judaism; Women’s Rabbinic Network; Women’s League for Conservative Judaism; and Yesh Tikvah.
“Too many families, particularly Jewish families, feel heartbroken and helpless as they struggle toward parenthood,” said Smolow. “For decades, Hadassah’s hospitals have been leaders in infertility treatment in Israel. We are grateful to our partners in the American Jewish community for joining us to ask Congress to support families by increasing the funding for research, care and access to treatment in the U.S.”
