Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section with Professor Rachel Somerstein
This talk, which draws on personal, historical, Talmudic, and other sources, explores the surprising ways that a close look at Judaic interpretations, presentations, and practices of midwifery, pregnancy, and birth both challenge and expose the limitations of the American ideal. It closes with a discussion of how activists, lawyers, and other advocates have interpreted the Dobbs decision as an infringement on Jewish religious liberty.
Rachel Somerstein is a journalist and social scientist with a PhD in mass communications and an MFA in creative writing who uses data, history, and reporting to tell stories that drive public policy and the public conversation, particularly regarding maternal health. Her critically-acclaimed book Invisible Labor: The Untold Story of the Cesarean Section, which blends research, reporting, history, and memoir, is now out from Ecco. Rachel’s work has appeared in publications including the Boston Globe, the Guardian, the Washington Post, and Women’s Health and has been featured on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” She lives in the Hudson Valley with her family.