In the Republic of Ireland, abortion has only been allowed when a woman’s life is at risk, but not in cases of rape, incest or fatal foetal abnormality.
Friday’s vote means the government will repeal the country’s eighth amendment by the end of the year and allow abortion on request in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Zoe Morris, a 19-year-old Jewish student from Galway, cast her first ever vote in the referendum and was an active Yes campaigner in her city and university.
“I have had to experience quite a few referenda in my country where I haven’t been able to have a say,” she told the JC.
“This is something that directly affects me and it was important that I and other women have access to basic health care.
“Before the vote it didn’t feel safe to be a woman in Ireland.”
Ms Morris spent most of her evenings and spare time canvasing for the Yes Vote but was still surprised that the decision was so overwhelmingly in support of scrapping the amendment.
“It was supposed to be close and when the exit polls came out revealing it was such a big majority, it didn’t feel real. Ireland is changing.”
Zoe’s mother Juliet Morris was moved to tears telling the JC about her daughter’s involvement in the campaign.
“As a family we all supported the Yes vote. I have two daughters so it was really important to me.
“This will affect them and their future and seeing the work Zoe put it made me incredibly proud, I can’t explain it,” she said.
“It means everything to me, to have this change in a country where women have been treated so badly in the past.”
She said it was amazing to see young people as the “driving force” behind the campaign.
Rabbi Zalman Lent, of the Dublin Hebrew Congregation, told the JC that “abortion on demand is definitely not something we wish to see here”.
But he said the referendum result overturned “legislation which is not in conformity with Jewish law which does in fact permit abortion in certain difficult and complicated cases”.
“Halachic opinion across the board would allow abortion up to birth where the mother’s life was in danger, and there are many who would allow terminations in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities, genetic disorders such as Tay-Sachs and even in cases of rape or similar situations of extreme distress.
“Under current Irish law some of those cases carry a potential 14 year jail sentence,” he said.
“The Yes vote in the recent referendum means that situations which may be permitted halachically will no longer be illegal in Ireland.
“A large percentage of the Jewish community here would have voted yes for that reason, while still hoping that this ruling will not open the floodgates to abortion on demand, and will only be used where absolutely necessary.”
David Goldberg, a barrister turned artist living in Dublin, welcomed the result, saying: "I voted Yes and I would go back and do it again and again.
“In my view the [eighth] amendment was drafted badly in the first place. A foetus cannot be equal to the mother.
“It has given rise to bad cases in Ireland where women have been hurt because intervention happens too late.
“People say the amendment was intended to save lives. It hasn’t. It doesn’t stop women traveling or taking illegal abortion pills.
“And it is outrageous that women were prosecuted if they did.”
Mr Goldberg, who is a member of the DJPC, said he thought that Irish Jews were in favour of the repeal overall.
“I couldn’t tell you exactly but I think the community is mostly liberal in its views. In synagogue last week, there were many people who were pro the referendum,” he said.
Michael Fitzpatrick, a Jewish journalist for Dublin City FM and also a member of DJPC, said he was relived at the result.
“I was at shul on Shabbos and 25 per cent of the people there were wearing Yes badges. That is really quite an unprecedented thing. People don’t normally make political statements on Shabbos,” he said.
The eighth amendment said a pregnant woman and her unborn child had “an equal right to life” but Fitzpatrick said: “Most people who are Jewish understand the Jewish response to termination.
“Legally we have been bound by the law but morally we put the life of the mother first.”
