From infertility to education, Jews should unite to support legislative agendas that help all segments of our community.
A few weeks ago, I had the honor of introducing Congressman Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) and Congressman Zach Nunn (R-Iowa) at the Tzedek Association dinner in Stamford, Connecticut. We thanked them for their leadership in moving forward the HOPE with Fertility Services Act, legislation that would help those seeking infertility treatments deal with the enormous costs of treatments. As I looked around me, I saw a room filled with Hasidic Jews wearing their hats and long coats, and thought to myself how nice it could have been if Jews from across the religious and social spectrum could come together and lobby for this cause.
One of the great blessings of American Jews was that the wealth and opportunities they came to enjoy in the United States of America allowed them to advocate for so many causes beyond their own. From the time Jews arrived at Ellis Island to life in the suburbs, American Jews worked selflessly to help Jews from the Pale of Settlement, Israel, Ukraine, Ethiopia, and countless other places. American Jews mobilized to shatter the Iron Curtain, which kept 3 million Jews locked in the darkness of Soviet oppression, to create the miracle of the State of Israel and make sure it can defend itself, and to support countless other causes, each of which had merit of its own.
Yet the movement led today by Maury Litwak from TeachNYS and other extraordinary organizations seeking to increase accessibility to Jewish education is also extraordinarily important. Making sure we support and sustain the bread and butter of Jewish life, on the most local level possible, is a vital and existential need of our community—one we must continue to expand.
While much has been done in our community to break the taboo and address matters surrounding infertility, the enormity of the cost involved for those going through treatments is something we have yet to fully tackle. The Modern Orthodox and broader Jewish community should find ways to rally support for the HOPE with Fertility Services Act, legislation that will expand coverage for fertility treatments and give families tax credits for money spent on fertility treatments. Finding issues that different parts of the Jewish community can rally behind has the double benefit of succeeding in reaching the goals we set as well as bringing us together. How beautiful would it be to see the people of Kiryas Joel, Teaneck, Fair Lawn, Deal, Florida and Long Island united behind a cause that will benefit each and every community in the United States?
As the Orthodox community, in particular, grows to the point where each segment can shelter itself in its own corner, not interacting with members of other parts of the Orthodox community, speaking at the Tzedek Association dinner reminded me of how beautiful it would be if we did more to meet and rally together with communities outside of our own. Rallying to support those facing the challenges of infertility or making day school education more affordable are causes that should bring us all together. If we can do that, we will bless our community members while celebrating our unity with other parts of Am Yisrael. Let’s do it together.
Rabbi Elchanan Poupko is an 11th-generation Orthodox rabbi, educator, writer, and speaker. He has written hundreds of articles in three languages and is the author of several books on Jewish thought and contemporary issues.
