Clergy were at the forefront of advocacy at the beginnings of the family planning movement in the United States, just as religious leaders are today.
With anti-abortion groups now receiving much attention, we disassociate ourselves from these restrictive voices and bear witness to the diversity in religious teaching regarding the purpose of our intimacy. We recognize that no single religious leader speaks for all people of faith, and we protest the enshrinement of any faith strictures as public policy. We affirm the value of new life when we protect the capacity of the woman to determine her proper time to become a mother.
Our respective faith teachings and nationally endorsed denominational statements call for access to sex education, contraception and abortion care.
What is more, the clergy experience providing pastoral counsel to women and families demonstrates the spirituality in the process of consulting with a medical provider and arriving at a personal conclusion about reproduction. Above all, uninvited religious leaders and government officials have no business imposing their personal faith strictures or religious definitions of medical services into the laws of the land or the private lives of women and families. Rather, people need medically accurate information, the opportunity for personal deliberation and access to the level of care they believe is right for them. Conscience is the moral high ground.
We join our clergy predecessors in advocacy for laws and policies that safeguard and strengthen access to reproductive health care. And, we stand by the work of women’s health centers, including Planned Parenthood, for providing quality and affordable medical care and comprehensive sex education so vital to the well being of our communities.
*
Capital Region
Rabbi Dennis S. Ross Jewish Albany
Rabbi Susan Gulack Jewish Albany
Pastor Paul Rees-Rohrbacher Lutheran Albany
Rabbi Beverly W. Magidson Jewish Albany
Rev. Joanna Christian-Tipple Reformed Church of America Claverack
Rev. Lee Ann Bryce United Church of Christ Ghent
Rabbi Matthew Durbin Jewish Glens Falls
Rev. Richard Symes Presbyterian Granville
Rev. Kimberly Cottingham Lutheran North
Greenbush
Rabbi Josef G. Solomon Jewish Saratoga Springs
Rev. Tom Davis United Church of Christ Saratoga
Springs
Rabbi Bernard Bloom Jewish Saratoga Springs
Rabbi Jonathan Rubenstein Jewish Saratoga
Springs
Rabbi Linda Motzkin Jewish Saratoga Springs
Rev. Finley Schaef United Methodist Church
Saugerties
Rev. Dr. Paula J. Gravelle Lutheran Schenectady
Rabbi Matthew Cutler Jewish Schenectady
Rabbi Miriam Midlarsky Lichtenfeld Jewish
Schenectady
Rev. Stacey Midge Reformed Church of America
Schenectady
Rev. Larry Phillips Baptist-UCC Schenectady
Rev. Joyce Borgman de Velder Reformed Church
of America Schuylerville
Rabbi Debora Gordon Jewish Troy
Rev. Alexandra S. Lusak Presbyterian Troy
Dr. Earl Johnson Presbyterian Johnstown
Rev. Vicki Brooks Schenectady
Rev. Richard Chrisman United Church of Christ
Saratoga Springs
Rev. John Ekman Presbyterian Saratoga Springs
Rev. Caspar Green American Baptist Churches
Glens Falls
Rev. Linda Hoddy Unitarian Universalist Saratoga
Springs
Rev. Bill Levering Reformed Church in America
Schenectady
Rev. Brooke Newell United Methodist Church
Glens Falls
Rev. Priscilla Richter Unitarian Universalist
Schenectady
Rev. Marian Shearer United Church of Christ
Schenectady
Rev. Charles Waldorp United Church of Christ
Saratoga Springs
New York City
Rev. Hector Laporta Methodist Brooklyn
Rev. Dr. Charles H. Straut Methodist Brooklyn
Rabbi Bonnie Steinberg Jewish Bronx
Cantor Leslie Friedlander Jewish Bronx
Rev. Elice Higginbotham United Church of Christ
NYC
Rabbi David Adelson Jewish NYC
Rabbi Shelley Kovar Becker Jewish NYC
Rabbi Richard A Marker Jewish NYC
Cantor Richard Botton Jewish NYC
Rev. Margaret A. Hart Unitarian Universalist NYC
Rabbi Deborah Hirsch Jewish NYC
Rev. Falen Guengerich Unitarian Universalist NYC
Rabbi Ellen Flax Jewish NYC
Rev. Margaret E. Howland Presbyterian Yonkers
Rev. Susan Karlson Unitarian Universalist
Staten Island
Rev. Joan Kavanaugh United Church of
Christ NYC
Rev. Anna Levy-Lyons Unitarian Universalist
NYC
Bishop Jeremiah J. Park United Methodist
Church NYC
Rev. David J. Robb United Church of Christ
NYC
Rev. Bruce Southworth Unitarian Universalist
NYC
Rev. Dr. Arnold Isidore Thomas United
Church of Christ NYC
Rabbi Charles G. Agin Jewish Flushing
Long Island
Rev. A. Erik Rasmussen Methodist Bellport
Rev. James W. Adelmann United Church of
Christ Garden City
Rabbi Stephen W. Goodman Jewish Garden
City
Rabbi Theodore Tsuruoka Jewish Great Neck
Rabbi Renni Altman Jewish Great Neck
Rev. Raul Ratzlaff Unitarian Universalist
Huntington
Rabbi Mark A. Gruber Jewish Nassau County
Rabbi Irwin Zeplowitz Jewish Port
Washington
Rev. Ned Wright Unitarian Universalist
Port Washington
Rabbi Judy Cohen-Rosenberg Jewish
Westbury
Rev. Barry M. Andrews Unitarian Univeralist
Shelter Rock
Rev. Laura Lee Kent United Church of
Christ Ithaca
Rev. Jody Kessler Interfaith Ithaca
Rev. Marraine C. Kettell United Church of
Christ Corning
Rev. Richard Rose American Baptist Ithaca
Rev. Stan Sears Unitarian Universalist
Auburn
Rev. Janet Shortall Unitarian Universalist
Ithaca
Rev. Philip W. Snyder Episcopal Ithaca
Rabbi Brian Walt Jewish Ithaca
Rev. Jane Winters Presbyterian Reading
Center
North Country
Rev. Anne Wichelns Episcopal Evans
Mills
Rabbi Andrew A. Goodman Jewish
Plattsburgh
Rev. Doug Marlow Episcopal Watertown
Rev. Nancy Betz Episcopal Clayton
Rev. Walter Giles Episcopal Watertown
Rev. Jennifer Kenna Episcopal Sackets
Harbor
Rev. Mark Bigelow United Church of Christ
Huntington
Rabbi Benjamin David Jewish Roslyn
Rabbi Meir Feldman Jewish Great Neck
Rabbi Tara Feldman Jewish Great Neck
Rev. Thomas W. Goodhue United Methodist
Amityville
Rev. Paul Johnson Unitarian Universalist
Shelter Rock
Rev. Addae Ama Kraba Unitarian Universalist
Southold
Rabbi Irwin Goldenberg Jewish Forest Hills
Rev. Nancy Schaffer United Church of Christ
Deer Park
Rev. Lynn Sullivan United Church of Christ
Garden City
Rev. Catherine Torpey Unitarian Universalist
Central New York
Rev. Rita Root United Church of Christ
DeWitt
Rev. Deacon Shelly Banner Episcopal
Church Oswego
Rev. Lynn Ashley Unitarian Universalist
Barneveld
Rev. Bridget McManus Episcopal Church
Pulaski
Rev. Holly Baylies Unitarian Universalist
Syracuse
Rev. Craig French United Methodist Church
Syracuse
Rabbi Larry Kotok Jewish Rochester
Rabbi Alan J. Katz Jewish Rochester
Rabbi Amy Sapowith Jewish Rochester
Rev. Tomi Jacobs United Church of Christ
Syracuse
Rev. Tiffany Steinwert United Methodist
Church Syracuse
Rabbi Henry Bamberger Jewish Utica
Rabbi Daniel Fellman Jewish Syracuse
Rev. Kaaren Anderson Unitarian
Universalist Rochester
Rev. Richard S. Gilbert Unitarian
Universalist Rochester
Rev. Deborah L. Hughes American Baptist
Churches Rochester
Rev. Sally Hamlin Unitarian Universalist
Rochester
Rev. Thomas Luck Episcopal Syracuse
Rev. Stanley E. Skinner United Church of
Christ Broome Center
Freeport
Rabbi Michael White Jewish Roslyn
Rabbi Elizabeth Wood Jewish Forest Hills
Rabbi Sheldon Zimmerman Jewish East
Hampton
Finger Lakes
Rev. Kelly Weisman Asprooth-Jackson
Unitarian Universalist Albion
Rev. Peggy Meeker Unitarian Universalist
Brockport
Rev. Maureen Thitchener Unitarian
Universalist Canandaigua
Cantor Richard Rosenfeld Jewish Geneva
Rev. Martha Koenig Stone United Church of
Christ Henrietta
Rev. G. William Pattison United Methodist
Church Pine Grove
Rev. Barbara E. Blom United Church of
Christ Ithaca
Rev. Janet Johnson Unitarian Universalist
Cortland
Western New York
Rev. Joel Miller Unitarian Universalist
Buffalo
Rev. Tomonthy Aston Unitarian Universalist
Williamsville
Rabbi Laurie Freen Jewish Buffalo
Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld Jewish Buffalo
Rev. Daniel Schifeling United Church of
Christ Buffalo
Rev. Scott Thomas United Church of Christ
Mid-Hudson Valley
Cantor Dana Anesi Jewish Chappaqua
Family Planning Advocates of New York State
17 Elk Street, Albany NY • 518.436.8408
www.edfundfpa.org/clergy
Cantor Ellen Dreskin Jewish Chappaqua
Rev. Joel Clark Mason Episcopal Chappaqua
Rabbi Joshua M. Davidson Jewish Chappaqua
Rabbi Yael Romer Jewish Kingston
Rev. Dawn Sangrey Unitarian Universalist
Mohegan Lake
Rabbi Scott B. Weiner Jewish New Rochelle
Rabbi Paul Golomb Jewish Poughkeepsie
Rev. Heather M. Finck Presbyterian Red Hook
Cantor Gerald Cohen Jewish Scarsdale
Rev. Jim Bridges Unitarian Universalist
Washingtonville
Rabbi Sandy Bogin Jewish White Plains
Rabbi William Dreskin Jewish White Plains
Cantor Benjie Ellen Schiller Jewish White
Plains
Rev. Melanie Miller United Church of Christ
White Plains
Rabbi Pamela Wax Jewish White Plains
Rabbi Seth Limmer Jewish Armonk
Rev. Gawain F. de Leeuw Episcopal White
Plains
Rev. Jeffrey B. Gamblee Unitarian Universalist
Hastings-on-Hudson
Rev. Harry C. Green Unitarian Universalist
Pomona
Rabbi David Greenberg Jewish Bedford
Rev. Carol Huston Unitarian Universalist White
Plains
Rabbi Douglas Krantz Jewish Armonk
Rabbi Garry Loeb Jewish Monroe
Rabbi Michele Medwin Jewish Monticello
Rabbi Geoffrey A Mitelman Jewish Chappaqua
Rev. Deb Morra Unitarian Universalist White
Plains
Rabbi Mara Nathan Jewish Larchmont
Rabbi Jason Nevarez Jewish Bedford
Rabbi Daniel Polish Jewish LaGrangeville
Rabbi Jeffrey Sirkman Jewish Larchmont
Southern Tier
Rev. Gary E. Doupe Methodist Bainbridge
Rabbi Miriam Biatch Jewish Elmira
Rev. Laurie DeMott American Baptist Alfred
Rev. Susanna DesMarais Episcopal Endicott
Rev. Mark Giroux Episcopal Chenango Bridge
Rabbi Barbara Goldman-Wartell Jewish
Binghamton
Rev. Gary McCaslin American Baptist Painted
Post
Rev. Craig Schwalenberg Unitarian Universalist
Oneonta
Rev. Lynn Shepard Presbyterian Afton
Rev. Aruthur Suggs United Church of Christ
Binghamton
Rev. Douglas Taylor Unitarian Universalist
Binghamton
Rev. Dolly Tarreto Methodist Afton
*As of 4.12.11