Judicial System vs. Kalina Schwartz: The Woman Saving 1,100 Babies a Year

For over a decade, Rabbanit Kalina Schwartz has led the EMA Department within the 'Hidabroot' organization. EMA (Mother Saves Me) works to assist pregnant women in distress who are considering abortion. Under Rabbanit Schwartz's guidance, dozens of volunteers dedicate themselves tirelessly to handling many difficult and complex cases daily, providing support to women contemplating abortion. To date, EMA has saved an incredible number of over 6,000 Jewish babies from being aborted. Over the years, various organizations and entities have tried unsuccessfully to limit the organization's activities. But recently, the judicial system has taken sides: the prosecution has filed an unprecedented indictment against Rabbanit Schwartz. In a special interview, the rabbanit extensively explains EMA's activities, criticizes the selective enforcement in the indictment filed against her, and declares: We will continue to act legally to save lives.

Rabbanit, can you tell us what EMA is exactly and how it assists women?

"The EMA Department is part of the Hidabroot organization, with 'Mother Saves Me' as its acronym. Our activity involves helping pregnant women in distress who are considering abortion, and we do everything we can, sensitively and gently, to dissuade them from proceeding with the abortion. Each distressed pregnant woman has a specific reason for her distress, why she comes to the decision to have an abortion, or why she is pressured to do so. There are several factors and a variety of reasons—each with her own reason. We work here tirelessly, day and night. The department is overwhelmed with referrals, cases where we need to step in and assist, to lend a hand. Each case is unique. Our activities are vast and thorough. We operate on every level to assist each pregnant woman we accompany, so she reaches the right decision. No mother regrets the child born, but during the initial stage of pregnancy, there are doubts and fears, and we are here for her."

How many cases have you handled so far?

"By Hashem's grace, we have treated and saved over 6,000 babies from abortion without the evil eye. In recent years, our activities have expanded. The media and various other parties who fundamentally oppose us did not like this. For several years, they have tried every way to penetrate us as if we were some extreme organization. We feel like we are in the Pentagon computer room each time it is hacked. They try to impersonate various parties, women with various stories, or volunteers supposedly with us. By heavenly assistance we usually recognize them, and even if not, we operate as usual. We have nothing to hide; this is strictly legal activity."

This World and the Next

When did the judicial system start targeting you?

"There was a one-time incident involving a worker at a private clinic in the south. When she started working, she believed it was a medical clinic. Once there, she discovered the clinic mainly performed abortions on an uncontrolled, daily basis and with vigorous encouragement from the staff. Seeing the wrongdoing and the lack of integrity and legality there was difficult for her: the committees weren’t conducted properly, and false reasons were given for abortion approval."

The committees meant to review women’s abortion requests?

"The law states that a woman wanting an abortion must obtain approval from a certified committee in a controlled, supervised, and filtered manner. The committee ensures the woman decides freely, without pressure, and is mentally sound. Essentially, the law opposes abortions but allows them under certain circumstances."

What was problematic about the clinic’s conduct?

"There were severe cases of committee negligence, which that worker witnessed and was appalled by. For example, a boyfriend pressuring the woman in the clinic to have an abortion, backed fully by staff who encouraged the abortion without basic, critical examination of her willingness. They also concealed evidence and altered reasons submitted to the committees on their own initiative. So many difficult things happened there that women treated there called me in tears. The worker felt powerless and decided something had to be done to save those girls. She consulted a rabbanit, who advised her to contact 'Hidabroot'."

"She approached a new employee of ours, who didn’t fully understand the rules and passed information on challenging cases of women treated there. I had no knowledge of this, and the evidence proves it. I received the information like all kinds of varied inquiries we receive, without knowing it was specifically from there or that it was unlawful."

Rabbanit Schwartz relates, "There were 7-8 cases from that clinic where we tried to assist in preventing the abortion, but we did so very delicately and sensitively, without infringing on privacy, essentially only offering help. For me, it’s like a lottery company calling to offer me a prize; so much more, this is about this world and the next. So I’m never upset at a lottery company offering a prize. We conducted ourselves very kindly, sensitively, and gently, and the patients from the clinic whom we contacted attest that the approach was very polite, gentle, and pleasant. There was only one complaint, or rather, her partner complained, angry at our trying to prevent the abortion. The complaint, in any case, did not come from her side. The police then checked whom else we had contacted from the clinic and brought those women in for questioning. The women questioned said a very polite worker wanted to help them with the abortion issue and connected them to us, but it didn’t continue, and that’s where it ended. But the investigative team manipulated them to speak against us, and when they heard that their details were allegedly shared from within the clinic, they built the investigation against us."

Despite Exposing Clinic Failures – No Investigation Opened Against Its Staff

At this point, the rabbanit describes another absurdity from the police: even though the police heard from that worker about the clinic’s severe misconduct and non-compliance with the law, they ignored it: "It did not raise any red flags for the police or the prosecution. Their only issue was why we intervened. They came to investigate us, examining emails, phone calls, messages, work methods for at least a year and a half – and found nothing illegal. Everything is clean."

What are you claiming in court?

"We claim it is selective enforcement; first, there has never been a case like this with such an indictment and demand for punishment as ours. Moreover, there have been more severe cases than ours, involving the wide disclosure of private information for financial gain, not for assistance without any remuneration, where nobody was prosecuted. Additionally, the clinic suspected of all the illegal, immoral, and unfair activities – of which the police and prosecution heard firsthand from a clinic worker about their severe conduct – was not even investigated. Is there a greater discrimination than this? Clearly, it's an attempt to silence and harm our activities, but we are undeterred: we continue daily, hourly, always legally to save more Jewish babies’ lives."

Was there an attempt by the prosecution to close the case without a conviction?

"Yes. They offered a plea deal. They hinted that in such a plea deal, we would leave almost with nothing, but there was one condition: that we admit guilt. So no, we do not admit guilt. Even if we don’t come out completely unscathed, we do not admit guilt. One cannot admit to committing an offense when, in fact, we fulfilled a great mitzvah by engaging in saving lives."

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