Women Who Perform Social Egg Freezing as Moral Pioneers: The Case of Ultra-Orthodox Communities in Israel

TL;DR

Ultra-Orthodox women in Israel use social egg freezing while balancing tradition and modernity without fully embracing individualism.

Contribution

The study reveals how ultra-Orthodox women adopt social egg freezing without challenging religious norms directly.

Findings

Participants assimilated SEF by establishing facts on the ground and spreading information discreetly.

SEF users maintained strong community ties while subtly modifying social boundaries.

They articulated social criticism without fully embracing modern individualism.

Abstract

Social egg freezing (SEF) is a new reproductive technology that is increasingly used within ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities, stirring tensions between tradition and modernity. Based on in-depth semi-structured interviews, this study examined how ultra-Orthodox singles who employ SEF engage in social negotiations over gender- and body-related norms. Findings show that participants successfully assimilated SEF by establishing facts on the ground and discreetly spreading information while actively avoiding tensions that may threaten religious tradition. SEF did not push participants into modern individualism or dissolve their strong connection to the community. However they did modify social boundaries and articulated social criticism.