Chavie and Erica bond over being two Texas girls, and Erica shares how a call from a friend planning an abortion eventually led her to create SHIFRA, a Jewish organization supporting women through unexpected pregnancies. She also shares her own family’s history with unplanned pregnancy and how her grandmother was raised believing that her biological mother was her sister. Erica explains how SHIFRA provides therapy, customized financial assistance, social services, and parenting support, and why many of the women who call are married mothers who already have children. Chavie talks about how Orthodox communities have become more open about infertility, sexual abuse, mental health, and the complexities of adoption, while unplanned pregnancy remains largely hidden. Chavie and Erica discuss the differences between Jewish and Christian approaches to abortion, why Erica keeps SHIFRA outside the pro-life/pro-choice binary, and how the organization continues supporting women even when they ultimately decide to end their pregnancies. Erica explains that her focus is always on what the mother needs. Rather than asking whether it is the right time to have a child, she asks what a woman would need to continue her pregnancy.
About Erica
Erica Pelman is the founder & CEO of SHIFRA. Prior to creating SHIFRA, she worked at the U.S. Department of Labor for seven years on Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and workforce development programs. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and lives in Rockville, Maryland with her husband and their four children. She grew up in Austin, Texas.
This Week's Prompt
What Did You Have to Unlearn About Parenting?
Stay to the end of the episode for listener voice notes responding to this week’s prompt.
Want to be featured in a future episode? Follow Chavie on Instagram for upcoming prompts, then send your voice note via WhatsApp to 406-600-4935.
Referenced on the Pod
8:18: Article about the Bruk's adoption journey by Dr. Yvette Alt Miller on Aish.com
1:13:35: Lori Palatnik, co-founder and founding director of Momentum
Stay in touch with Erica
If you or someone you love needs help: callshifra.org/start-here
If you would like to help others: callshifra.org/donate
Stay in touch with Chavie
Want to sponsor or dedicate an episode? Reach out to Chavie on Instagram or by email at chaviebruk@gmail.com.
