The Jewish Community Relations Council, National Council of Jewish Women-St. Louis and the Ethical Society of St. Louis, along with a coalition of local co-sponsoring organizations, are presenting a live screening of the HBO Max documentary “Meet the Janes: The Heroes of Abortion Access Before Roe v. Wade” on Thursday, Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m. at the Ethical Society of St. Louis, 9001 Clayton Road.

The event, which the JCRC is cosponsoring through the Bohm Social Justice Initiative, is free of charge, but registration is required. There are no walk-ins. Doors will open at 6:30 and the movie will begin at 7 p.m. Proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test within 24 hours must be shown at the door.

Prior to the screening, journalist Charles Jaco will give a brief introduction about his personal connection to “The Janes.” After the film, Stacey Newman of ProgressWomen, will share information on how attendees can take action to support access to abortion.

“We highly anticipate gathering with the many St. Louisans concerned about access to reproductive healthcare to view this powerful film about these seven women, the Janes, who built an underground service for women seeking safe, affordable, and illegal abortion,” said NCJW-STL board member and Jewish Light contributor Amy Fenster Brown. “We now live in a post-Roe world. The Janes, who lived in a pre-Roe world, help us envision the enormous potential for collective action to ensure abortion access.”

Added Maharat Rori Picker Neiss, executive director of the JCRC:  “Abortion healthcare is healthcare, and it is religious freedom.” Quoting the policy adopted by the JCRC Council in 2015 in support of access to reproductive healthcare, she added, “governmental attempts to legislate these views invade the religious liberty and religious pluralism guaranteed to individuals by the First Amendment. In this area of religious concern, private religious conscience must be protected, and the separation of religion and state respected and upheld.”

The following organizations are co-sponsoring this event: Access Missouri, American Association of University Women, Hadassah, MaTovu, ProgressWomen, WashU Hillel, and Women’s Voices Raised for Social Justice.

Register online for the film screening here: https://conta.cc/3QrT38F