IVF, egg freezing and the Jewish law ramifications
The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Australia (JOFA) is hosting an upcoming event dedicated to understanding the nuanced Jewish law and Halachic requirements of IVF and egg freezing with a panel consisting of Australian women from Melbourne, Sydney, and Israel.
“In recent years IVF technology has become very advanced. Women are able to freeze their eggs and embryos can be created and stored for years,” said JOFA Australia President Nomi Kaltmann. “With these new technologies, Halachic considerations have to be carefully considered,” she said.
JOFA Australia will be hosting Australian-Israeli Yoetzet Halacha Michal Roness, a Halachic Fertility Counselor at Midreshet Nishmat, in conversation with Sydney IVF Mashgicha Michelle Eisenberg and former Melbournian Mina Cohen, who recently decided to freeze her eggs.
Roness made Aliyah from Australia in 1996 and lives in Beit Shemesh where her husband is a community rabbi. She has taken on a leading role in answering questions on Nishmat’s Golda Koschitzky Hotline and coordinating the Nishmat’s Yoatzot Halacha Research Institute which published the first volume of Nishmat Habayit.
“It is always exciting to host halachically knowledgeable women, and Michal’s reputation precedes her,” said Kaltmann. “We are thrilled that she will be able to share her immense knowledge with our community, and as she is a fellow Aussie, she will also understanding the specific quirks that are particular to an Aussie audience.”
Mina Cohen, a Melburnian now living in Los Angeles will also be sharing her story as to why she recently decided to freeze her eggs on a recent trip back home to Melbourne and Michelle Eisenberg from Sydney will share details of her role as an IVF mashgicha [Jewish law supervisor] at different labs across New South Wales.
“JOFA Australia hopes that men and women alike find this event interesting and educational,” said Kaltmann. “Science has moved very quickly in this area and it is important to keep up to date with the latest understanding of how Jewish law understands these new technologies so that people are informed and can make important decisions about their life,” she said.
When: Thursday, 11 November 7pm – 8:30pm
Link to book a free ticket to the Zoom event: https://www.trybooking.com/BVCFK
