Young People Find Hope in the Affordable Care Act

By Hannah Sherman, JWI Intern

You know you’re getting close to your college graduation when even the first few notes of Vitamin C’s Graduation makes you teary eyed. As a Class of 2012 student, the thought of life after college is filled with both the sense of freedom and the fear of the unknown. For many people my age, the prospect of entering the workforce in this economy is but a faint hope and more and more young people are returning to the nest, unemployed.

While there may be many uncertainties, there is one glimmer of comfort in the form of the Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. According to this law, young adults can now be insured as a dependent on their parents’ health insurance if they are under age 26. In a time of such economic downturn, this law saves countless young adults from the worry of living uninsured. In a December 2011 news release, the National Center for Health Statistics at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the Affordable Care Act helped 2.5 million additional young adults get health coverage. Not only does the law allow young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance until they turn 26, it also makes it illegal to for a plan to deny anyone coverage, regardless of pre-existing conditions.

March 23, 2012 marks the two year anniversary of this landmark legislation. As a young adult, I can personally attest to the positive and profound impact this law has on our lives, giving us one certainty to hang onto in an otherwise uncertain time. It is for this reason that I celebrate the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act and its continued effect on the health and well-being of young adults.

Two Years Later, Reflections on the Landmark Health Care Law

By Miri Cypers, JWI Senior Policy and Advocacy Specialist

Two years ago this week, Congress voted in support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the landmark health care reform bill, and sent the legislation to President Obama’s desk to sign. This came after months of heated debate in Washington DC and throughout the nation which showcased the complex and often vitriolic nature of the political landscape in the United States. Ultimately, the passage of this historic bill affirmed the right of every American to quality, affordable health coverage and served as an especially important victory for women and their families.

So what gains has the Affordable Care Act made since its passage two years ago? Now, over 20 million women across the U.S. have received preventive health care services, from mammograms to colonoscopies, without co-pays. Soon, this coverage will include other critical preventive health care services, like well-women visits, contraception, and domestic violence screenings- all available without additional costs to women. Now, 2.5 million young adults are insured because of the health care law which allows them to stay on their parents’ insurance plan until the age of 26. Now, nearly 500,000 Americans who were denied coverage have insurance. The list goes on and on.

Women are already benefitting from the ACA and these positive trends will only continue.  As women and as activists, we must continue to protect this historic law by dispelling myths and staying informed and active advocates. The health care law is a tremendous achievement for women and their families and despite strong opposition, we will not turn back now.

This blog is part of the #HERvotes blog carnival.

Real Beauty

By Hannah Sherman, JWI Intern

The fashion world is known for its trends, both good and bad. Come on, I can’t be the only one who was into those platform flip flops and full outfits consisting entirely of denim (what can I say, I’m a product of the 90s!). However, the disturbing trend of using extremely underweight models has become a staple in the fashion industry, setting unrealistic standards of beauty for many young girls.

Image from Beauty Redefined

In recent years, many countries have started to take action against the use of underweight models on the catwalk and in advertisements, feeling that using these models as the epitome of beauty encourages eating disorders and distorts perceptions of real beauty. Countries like France, Italy, Brazil, India, and Spain have taken steps to keep underweight models off of their catwalks and most recently, an Israeli bill seeks to ban the use of underweight models in Israeli advertising.  These countries point to a great improvement in the fashion industry, yet more countries need to take similar actions.

In the United States, where this is the ideal we are teaching young girls, we are only further ingraining the archaic and stereotypical concept of unrealistic beauty. In celebrating the healthy look rather than the heroin-chic look, we ensure that the young women in America will have positive fashion icons to admire, promoting greater self-esteem and confidence. Now that is what I consider real beauty.

Talking About Abortion: 1 in 3

By Ann Rose Greenberg, JWI Marketing Coordinator

One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime. That’s a lot of women. So why don’t we ever talk about it? Are we still ashamed, even decades after the legalization for which we fought so hard? If we don’t talk about it, how can we help the women who are faced with such an emotional decision?

We need to share our stories so those 1 in 3 will know they’re not alone, and so society and Congress will know that we value a woman’s right to choose. That’s why Advocates for Youth, Choice USA and Spiritual Youth for Reproductive Freedom created their 1 in 3 Campaign.

The 1 in 3 Campaign is a movement to reach over 1,000,000 people with personal stories about abortion and the importance of access to basic health care. People are invited to share their stories– in video if they are comfortable, in writing if they’d prefer to be anonymous – and pledge to start a conversation about abortion with three people by sharing one’s own story or a story from the 1 in 3 Campaign.

Unplanned and unwanted pregnancies are a fact of life, and without a safe and legal way to terminate these pregnancies, women’s health is at risk. “We tried all kinds of things to make me miscarry — doing hundreds of sit ups, pushing our full-sized cars around the block, taking pills with arsenic in them, etc. Nothing worked. I even contemplated suicide,” says one woman in her story. “Over the years, I’ve been amazed to learn how many of my friends have had similar experiences — once I break down and tell them about my experience, they often come back with a similar story of their own.”

The quality of life for the women and their families is at risk as well. Another woman shares about needing to borrow money from 2 different relatives to get the $350 to pay for her abortion. “We didn’t even have any money to get the abortion done. How could we not have money for that, but have money to raise another [child],” she asks.

And because knowledge is power, the 1 in 3 Campaign offers information about abortion policy at the state, federal, and US foreign policy levels. There is also an abortion timeline, and of course resources and information about the abortion procedure.

1in3Campaign.org: Deb from Advocates for Youth on Vimeo.

Women in Israeli Society

By Susan Jerison, JWI Director of Marketing and Communications

“It is time that we start an alliance, perhaps that we haven’t had the wisdom or courage to start before,” began Avirama Golan as she addressed a small leadership group convened this Wednesday by JWI and the Embassy of Israel. Golan is a senior correspondent with Haaretz writing on social affairs, and the first female member of the Haaretz editorial board. Speaking about women’s issues in Israel, her message was urgent and troubling as she suggested that the very nature of the state of Israel was at stake. Many in the room called for dialogue – real dialogue with a variety of Israeli women to understand how they see these issues and how American women can be supportive. She urged that American Jews must recognize the complexity of these issues, continue their long history of activism, and help create a dialogue about the future.

JWI Executive Director, Lori Weinstein; Avirama Golan; Chair of JWI's board of trustees, Susan Turnbull.

Read about the issue in the New York Times article “Israelis Facing a Seismic Rift Over Role of Women”
View more photos from the event on our Facebook page

Bringing Comfort through Books

By Lauren Levine, JWI Executive Associate & Library Project Coordinator

Put yourself in the shoes of a child victim of domestic violence. After weeks, months or maybe years of watching your parents fight, your mom getting hurt, and maybe even being hurt yourself, you are one day taken from your home and probably your friends and community, and brought to an emergency shelter. You may be in a new city or state, and suddenly all of your favorite toys, clothes and people are gone. Your surroundings are unfamiliar. The house you live in has cameras on the front and your mom is worried about staying hidden. Other families live here and you suddenly have to share your space with other kids.

Now imagine that in this unfamiliar home surrounded by unfamiliar people, you come across one colorful room. In the center is a bright blue rug with animals around the edges and the alphabet written in a circle. There’s a little rocking chair that’s the perfect size for you. On the shelf behind it, you see books. But one book stands out. It’s your favorite book. Your mom used to read it to you in your old home, which now seems so far away.

You pick up the book and flip through the familiar pictures. Your mom comes in and sees you with the book. She sits down in a bigger rocking chair right next to you. She smiles at you, just like she used to, takes the book from your hands and begins to read. You sit down on the colorful rug and listen. Suddenly you’re not so far from home…

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of opening the newest children’s library as part of JWI’s National Library Initiative in Taretum, Pennsylvania, right outside of Pittsburgh. The library is at the Alle-Kiski HOPE Center – an amazing organization with an emergency shelter and transitional housing for victims of domestic abuse. Through a generous grant from Verizon Wireless, we were able to stock the new children’s library in the Alle-Kiski emergency shelter with 500 books, adult and children’s rocking chairs, multiple bookshelves, a child-sized table with chairs, and a bright, colorful rug.

This library is our 41st in our effort to open 100 across the country. Like the last 40, this library will be a reminder of hope for children whose lives have become turbulent. The staff at the shelter was so thankful to have this space especially for the more than 80 children who live in this shelter each year.
As we looked through the bookshelves after the library dedication event, each person attending the opening saw a book or two that brought forward memories from his or her childhood. Hopefully, these books well help create the same positive memories for the children living in the shelter.

Read the Aspinwall Hearald‘s article about the library.
View more photos of the library dedication on Facebook.

Women’s History Month: A Salute to Jewish Women Leaders

By Hannah Sherman, JWI Intern

March marks the recognition of Women’s History Month, 31 days dedicated to the celebration of women’s continued and ever-increasing influence in history. As an American Studies major, I have a nerdy passion for analyzing historical figures and their continued impact on the way our American society evolves. Therefore, in honor of Women’s History Month, here are some of the great influential Jewish women in history and their contributions to American life.

Throughout history, Jewish women have been prominent activists, politicians, entertainers and athletes, all contributing to American culture. Emma Goldman is one such figure, leading early feminist movements and distributing information on birth control (something that was then, and is again, a controversial issue). Similarly, Gloria Steinem became a leader of the women’s liberation movement in the 1960s and 1970s, campaigning for influential legislation like the Equal Rights Amendment and co-founding the groundbreaking Ms. Magazine.

In the past several decades, women have risen through the ranks in politics, proving that women are just as capable of holding powerful leadership positions as men. Madeleine Kunin became not just the first and only female governor of the state of Vermont, but the first Jewish women to be elected the governor of a U.S. state. Additionally, in 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg became the second female justice and the first Jewish female justice to serve on the Supreme Court, and Gabrielle Giffords was elected Arizona’s first Jewish Congresswoman, exemplifying great courage and strength throughout her career.

Sasha Cohen's endless spiral, By Rich Moffitt from Boston, USA, Via Wikimedia Commons

Jewish women have equally contributed to the arts and sports as well. Singer-songwriter and feminist advocate, Debbie Friedman, forever changed the Jewish music scene, leaving a lasting legacy on the impact of music in religious observance. Academy Award winning actress and Israeli native, Natalie Portman, proudly celebrates her Jewish heritage, and Sasha Cohen won the silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics.

In the month of March, we take the time to honor and recognize Jewish women and their continued strong presence in all spheres of American life. In celebrating the past, we hope to inspire the future, paving the way for new generations of Jewish women to have an equally important imprint on the future American history.

Rethinking Purim: Women, Relationships & Jewish Texts

JWI has a new resource for Purim, the first in a series of study guides related to Women, Relationships and Jewish Text. Rethinking Purim is designed to spark new conversations about relationships by offering a fresh look at old texts. The guide is designed for use in both formal and informal settings including synagogues, study groups, book clubs, or simply by a group of friends getting together.

Rethinking Purim takes a thematic approach to the story of Purim, and uses text of the megillah, midrash, and modern commentary to encourage conversations about relationships. Each section of the guide discusses a characteristic of healthy relationships: developing a voice of one’s own; cultivating the conscious use of self; and striving for parity.

This guide combines a respectful reading of classic texts with provocative and perceptive insights, questions and ideas that can help shape healthier relationships. It can help raise awareness of the ways in which issues of gender and power intersect with and can be addressed through such Jewish values as k’vod ha-briot (respect for the dignity and integrity of each person) and kedusha (sanctification), among others.

The Women, Relationships and Jewish Text guides are a project of JWI’s Clergy Task Force on Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community, a group of prominent clergy committed to promoting Jewish responses and resources that end violence against women. The guide has been distributed by national Jewish organizations, and has received a positive response across denominations. It is available for free download at www.jwi.org/purim.