14. Jewish and Pro-Life

Beyond Rome

For episode 14 of Beyond Rome this week, James O’Reilly is joined by Cecily Routman of the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation. In this episode, Cecily shares about her journey as a pro-life Jewess, how she came to know God through her suffering, and how the Torah informs us about the dignity of each human life and how it has become manipulated as a resource for justifying abortion in the Jewish community.
Cecily founded the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation (JPLF) in 2006. A native of Pittsburgh, she was Bat Mitzvah at then conservative synagogue Beth Samuel Jewish Center and obtained her MSW from the University of Pittsburgh.
The Jewish Pro-Life Foundation brings together Jewish people from all backgrounds and levels of observance who believe that human life in the womb is sacred and that Jews are commanded by HaShem to protect and defend these innocents. Jewish communities, from the most secular to the very religious, lack essential information necessary to understand and apply this way of thinking and acting.
The JPLF draws inspiration and strength in the knowledge that Judaism was the first religion in human history to sanctify human life from conception and to prohibit child sacrifice. In Judaism, life takes precedence over all other matters, and each Jew is responsible for protecting and defending innocent life, including life in the womb. This is especially urgent now amidst the ongoing attacks on Jews from outside enemies.
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00:00-08:14 — Introduction & Recap of Cecily’s Story with Jewish Pro-Life Foundation

08:14-09:37 — Torah-based Pro-Life belief

09:37-13:47 — Biblically based Pro-Life belief

13:47-17:00 — Challenges for the Jewish Pro-Life movement

17:00-19:44 — Jews don’t want to speak out & Attacks Against Jews Increase

19:44-20:47 — Return to God, the Desire for the Messiah’s Coming

20:47-22:32 — Mother Teresa & Pope St John Paul II’s familiarity among the Jewish people

22:32-23:23 — WWII & relation to antisemitism and abortion

23:23-26:01 — Torah and the use and abuse of legal systems

26:01-28:44 — “Religious" basis to the Jews’ right to abortion & Jewish figures who speak out against abortion

28:44-30:12 — Encouragement to the Jewish community

30:12-34:28 — Conclusion

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Resources:
➡️ Learn more about the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation: https://jewishprolifefoundation.org/
➡️ Follow the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cecilyroutman?igsh=MWMzbGxxY29wZzJnYg==
➡️ Bonnie Chernin, Director at the Jewish Pro-Life Foundation, writes on Times of Israel: Judaism is pro-life and all Jews should be pro-life

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