On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which guaranteed our federal right to abortion access for half a century.
In Judaism, there is a custom to mark the anniversary date of a death, the yahrtzeit — a time to mourn, to remember, and to honor — by lighting a yahrtzeit candle to remind us of the loss and bring light into a dark period.
Join National Council of Jewish Women to mourn all those who have been harmed and killed by bans on their bodies by lighting a yahrtzeit candle before sundown of Friday, June 23, 2023.
We light a yahrtzeit candle to symbolize the neshama, the soul of the departed, allowing it to burn until it naturally goes out.
And join us on June 23 at 1pm ET/10am PT for a virtual candle lighting, prayer, and discussion on the state of abortion access.
This year, the first anniversary of the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade also falls on Shabbat. So in addition to the ritual to light a yartzheit candle, we also have a helpful sheet to commemorate the loss of Roe over Shabbat.