This episode is a replay of our Repro Shabbat Lunch and Learn - a roundup of recent legislation and litigation in both the state of PA and the country. Our Advocacy Manager, Kate Rothstein, along with University of Pittsburgh Elsie Hillman Scholar Kiana Dunbar will be our hosts for this episode. 

National Council of Jewish Women Pittsburgh, or NCJW, is a progressive, feminist organization guided by Jewish values that has become a powerful force for social change,   ,advocating for gender and racial equity in the Pittsburgh region. For more than 125 years, through our advocacy efforts and service programs, our mission has always been to step forward, speak out, and stand up, for the needs of all women, children and families.

Recorded under the toxic haze of Canadian wildfire pollution, hear from teen leaders about their environmental justice work. Grace, Emilio, Jacob, and Mariana hail from Pittsburgh and Birmingham, two cities rocked by recent environmental disasters (the East Palestine train derailment and the landfill fire) on top of an unacceptable baseline of polluted air. Hear from these teen leaders themselves on how the environmental needs of everyday people are put last in these crises, how they plan to stay involved in this work their whole lives, and more!

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Here is a bite sized bonus episode supplementing Episode 3. Hear more from local teens Ja'Nya and Brynne and the legislative advocacy work they've done to pave the way for a better future for teens.

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Did you know crisis pregnancy centers outnumber abortion clinics 9:1 in PA? Abby sits down with Aviva Zadoff, the founder of Pro Truth NY, to learn about the campaign and discuss the current climate of fake abortion clinics in PA and NY, what exactly is dangerous about them, and what the future holds for bodily autonomy.

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For Mental Health Awareness Month, NCJW's Kate Rothstein speaks with two local teens, Brynne & Ja'Nya, members of a JHF mental health Youth Advocacy Workgroup. Tune in and hear how to talk to family and friends about caring for their mental health, setting screen time rules, how the pandemic affected today's high schoolers, mental health care in PA schools, and more.

Jewish Healthcare Foundation is a strong supporter of robust teen mental health support, particularly training a Youth Advocacy Network of teens and young people to work at the legislative level to get laws passed that will help teens. One big achievement was making it possible for high school students to take mental health days without the need for a doctor's note. Sarah Pesi is the Policy Director of this program.

Listen to NCJW Pittsburgh's first episode of the Bridges to Equity podcast! Experience the best of our live workshops in an in-demand format to fit into your busy life, whether you listen on your commute, while you put your kids to bed, or a little bit of both. We're bringing you the best of current conversations in Pittsburgh about equity, women's empowerment, and everything in between. Take our survey here to help fund more programming like this: https://forms.gle/wRUDekiQWiDXojcL7

In today's episode, Megan Rose and Kate Rothstein talk with student leaders from the University of Pittsburgh's The Pitt News, and ACLU and Planned Parenthood chapters about abortion access on campus. Learn firsthand about the misinformation crisis pregnancy centers spread on campus, the current political climate of PA when it comes to reproductive health and justice, whether or not PA is truly a pro-abortion state, and so much more!