Rethinking the Jewish Womb in Israel

This article revisits questions about the womb's role in conferring Jewish identity in Israel. Judaism is transmitted matrilineally, yet orthodox rabbis increasingly view babies from non-Jewish eggs as requiring conversion. Through interviews with 25 orthodox Jewish-Israeli gestational surrogates who see surrogacy as an act of "loving-kindness" (chesed), we explore how they navigate halakhic uncertainty surrounding the Jewish status of babies they carry when non-Jewish donor eggs are used. Though the State recognizes their "Jewish womb" as determining the baby's religious status, these surrogates resist acknowledging this power because they conceptualize themselves as merely "hosting" a child that belongs to others.