Hadassah-Brandeis Institute

Deeply Rooted: Faith in Reproductive Justice

Curated by Caron Tabb

November 2, 2023 - February 1, 2024

Twenty-one artists, five decades, four continents, and numerous traditions respond to abortion and reproductive justice through the lens of faith.

Deeply Rooted Artists: Lizzy Alejandro, Roya Amigh, Andi Arnovitz, Zoë Buckman, Nani Chacon and Rose B. Simpson, Susan Chen, Dell M. Hamilton, Nayana LaFond, Marla McLeod, Azita Morodkhani, Jacqueline Nicholls, Giovanna Pizzoferrato, Cora Ramirez-V, Winnie van der Rijn, Janice Rubin, Bahareh and Farzaneh Safarani, Charlie Dov Schön, Caron Tabb, Diana Weymar

several boxing gloves decorated in fabric with flowers, plaids and more hanging from a black metal chain

Zoë Buckman, According to Grandma, 2019, Boxing gloves, vintage linen, chain, ribbon, 29 X 19 X 15.5-inches, Courtesy of the Rose Art Museum

a woman wearing a white gown sitting with hands folded as if in prayer, seen inside a gold ornamental window

Marla McLeod, My Mother’s Keeper (Detail), 2023, Oil, burning, carving on wood, 72 X 48-inches

pieces of yellow paper with images of woman in black tied together with red thread

Roya Amigh, A Line of Speed and Fire [Khatti ze Sor'at va Atash, 1980], 2022, Paper, thread, lace, and pieces of cloth and mirror, 34 x 31 x 6 inches

Art in the form of a Torah cover, with parchment with Hebrew words overlaying a cover made of quilted nylons sculpted into the shape of a woman's bust

Caron Tabb, I Am My Sisters Keeper 2, 2023, Mixed media, dimensions variable

a woman wearing black with a sad expression on her face looking down, sitting in a chair with a red satiny cloth covering her lap, in front of a a painting of red colors with splotches of red on the wall next to it

Safarani Sisters, Colorist, 2019, Oil on canvas and video projection, 60 X 72-inches

Deeply Rooted: Faith in Reproductive Justice began as a question shortly after the Dobbs decision leaked to the public. What if we present an exhibition that reflects on the Jewish views of abortion and reproductive justice? 

Coined by the Black feminist movement, the term reproductive justice goes beyond the basic legal right to access key reproductive health services. It seeks to advance bodily autonomy, health equity, and unfettered access to comprehensive reproductive health care for all individuals and communities.

Dobbs became a reality and some states used religion as a cudgel in the culture wars about reproductive rights. We needed to understand what religions and cultures say about these issues, rather than allow one narrative to drown out nuanced religious perspectives. Research and conversations with faith leaders, community organizers, and artists expanded the project’s scope to engage a holistic view of reproduction and abortion that honors each artist’s multifaceted identity and the intricacy of their history, faith, and culture. 

The artists’ perspectives lend urgency to their work. Through photography and installation to fiber, painting, and ceramics, the exhibition’s 21 artists consider and create work centered around women’s rights and the power of the female gaze. The artists’ works reflect a commitment to equity and autonomy – that the rights granted to one person should be shared by all, and that each of us should have the power to make decisions for ourselves and our families. The work shows that our cultural and religious experiences deviate from Justice Alito’s premise that “the right to abortion is not deeply rooted in the nation’s history and traditions”. 

Communities of faith and culture can be a source of support for reproductive justice, elevating the conversation beyond the political. Deeply Rooted: Faith in Reproductive Justice challenges us to harness our collective power. 

-Caron Tabb, Guest Curator 

Exhibition Catalog and Press

HBI is immensely grateful to Caron Tabb, Deeply Rooted curator and artist, all 21 superb and creative Deeply Rooted artists, and the myriad of visitors who spent time with the exhibition. We're delighted to share the Deeply Rooted catalog with you. Contact HBI to request yours.

For Deeply Rooted events, view our past events page from November 2023 through January 2024.

Supported by grants from Combined Jewish Philanthropies/CJP and the Mass Cultural Council.