Pregnant women take note: There’s something about the name “Emma” that turns a girl into a prizefighter swinging her fists for human––often specifically women’s––rights, or, as we like to say here at the Jewish Women's Archive, a “troublemaker” in the best sense of the word.

I'm not the first one to point out how outrageous it is that in 2012, birth control is a controversial political issue. In these trying times, it helps to look back to the Jewish women who have come before us--and already fought this war for us--for outrage, guidance, and inspiration.

Below are some thoughts from Jewish women on contraception, taken from the handy book, The Quotable Jewish Woman, edited and compiled by Elaine Bernstein Partnow.