Opting Out of Parenthood

Women who choose to be childfree may not have to contend with dirty diapers, temper tantrums and prom dramas, but they do have to contend with being cast as social pariahs: “selfish,” “self-centered,” “baby-haters.” However, here’s an interesting fact: According to a 2010 study from the Pew Research Center, the number of childfree women in the U.S. almost doubled during the previous three decades, which amounts to approximately 20 percent of the female population. Given the rapid growth of this trend, we sought out a variety of perspectives on how this specifically impacts Jewish women.

Warm Regards,
Michelle Cove, Editor
mcove@brandeis.edu

In This Issue

• Delivering the News

  How to tell your parents you’re planning to remain childfree

• Obligation to Multiply

  Rabbi Jeffrey Anrowitz reflects on whether Jewish women should be held accountable for “being fruitful” and adding more Jews to the world.

• Parents Need to Back Off

  Why pushing Jewish women to have babies is not the answer to growing the Jewish community

• To Nudge or to Noodge

  Grandparent Wannabes and their daughters’ fertility

• Deliberately, Delightfully Child-free

  In spite of some Jewish guilt, Ken and Alissa Koven feel good about their decision not to parent

• Resources - Vol 6, Issue 6

  A list of resources for 614 Volume 6, Issue 6