RELEASE: NCJW Hosts Annual Repro Shabbat
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, February 13, 2026
PRESS CONTACT: press@ncjw.org
NCJW Hosts Annual Repro Shabbat, Mobilizing 2,500+ Jewish Communities to Protect Reproductive Freedom
Communities nationwide will gather to celebrate reproductive freedom as a Jewish value and recommit to protecting abortion access
WASHINGTON, DC — National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) — the nation’s leading Jewish feminist civil rights organization, representing 250,000 changemakers across the United States and Israel — will host its annual Repro Shabbat, taking place during the Shabbat reading of Parashat Mishpatim on February 13-14, 2026.
Repro Shabbat takes place annually when, according to the Hebrew calendar, Jews around the world read the part of the Torah containing the textual foundation for Judaism’s approach to reproductive health, rights, and justice. For centuries, Jewish scholars have interpreted these verses to establish that there is no Jewish notion of fetal personhood. This year, more than 2,500 Jewish communities across the US and Canada will participate.
Especially now, as the Trump administration accelerates attacks on reproductive rights — including the FDA review of medication abortion, used safely and effectively in over 60% of all abortions in the United States — NCJW is calling on Jewish communities nationwide to celebrate reproductive freedom as a Jewish imperative and build sustained resistance to protect access to reproductive health care, including abortion.
“In this moment of crisis, Repro Shabbat is an essential act of community and solidarity for Jews committed to reproductive freedom,” said Shira Zemel, NCJW’s abortion access campaign director. “When politicians claim that ‘people of faith’ oppose abortion, they erase the Jewish community, which overwhelmingly supports reproductive freedom. Repro Shabbat transforms biblical wisdom into contemporary organizing — whether in synagogue sanctuaries or around kitchen tables, we are building communities of care rooted in Jewish values through this annual observance.”
Across the country, abortion bans now force people to carry nonviable pregnancies, deny emergency care, and criminalize health care providers. The Trump administration has expanded the Global Gag Rule, installed anti-abortion extremists at the Department of Justice (DOJ), and issued a memo from the DOJ limiting enforcement of the FACE Act, which protects abortion clinics from violence and blockades. Lawmakers on the federal and state levels continue to push for fetal personhood, granting embryos the same legal status as living people.
Repro Shabbat gatherings create space for learning, connection, and action in the face of escalating threats to religious freedom and reproductive health care. While each observance is different, participants share personal stories, organize support for local reproductive health organizations and legislative advocacy, and deepen shared commitments to protecting reproductive freedom. Repro Shabbat reflects the core Jewish principle that studying Torah must lead to action — talmud mevi lidei ma’aseh.
This year, Repro Shabbat is co-sponsored by nearly 100 national Jewish and secular partner organizations including OneTable, BBYO, Hillel International, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Jewish organizations representing the full swath of denominations, and more. See a full list at reproshabbat.org.
NCJW provides free resources including conversation guides, study materials, liturgy, and planning tools at jewsforabortionaccess.org/repro-shabbat-2026.
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National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW) is a 133-year-old Jewish feminist civil rights organization working for equity and justice for women, children, and families in the United States and Israel. Through the efforts of our 250,000 grassroots advocates and 46 local sections, NCJW combines education, direct service, and advocacy to effect lasting social change at the local, state, and national levels. We approach our work through the intersections of gender, economic, and racial justice to center those most impacted in a uniquely Jewish way. Learn more at NCJW.org and on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.