Introducing Nothing New Under the Sun

Sometimes it feels like there’s nothing all that new in the news. Many of the subjects Lilith has tackled–in more than 30 years of reporting on Jewish women’s issues–continue to appear and reappear in the headlines long after you heard it here first.

So…tapping into these “firsts,” we’re bringing you this new column on The Lilith Blog: Nothing New Under the Sun, where you’ll get to see current news stories paired with some of Lilith’s original reporting on the same topic.

Breaking news often reminds us of articles in Lilith’s archival treasure-trove, and we’re excited to share these connections with you. We hope you share them with us, too! Send us your nominations for stories you see now in the headlines (or blog feeds) that you first read about in Lilith. We’ll use your suggestions and include your name.

To kick off this column, here’s a headline that just appeared in The New York Times: “Payment Offers to Egg Donors Prompt Scrutiny.” The article explores whether compensation for egg donors–especially those young college students coping with money problems–might inspire some “to donate against their own best interests,” especially since the offered compensation often exceeds $5,000.

Also, check out Gabrielle Birkner’s piece in The Wall Street Journal: “Fertility Treatment Gets More Complicated.”

Sound familiar? Lilith’s groundbreaking Fall 2001 story, “Jewish Women’s Eggs: A Hot Commodity in the IVF Marketplace,” covered much of this territory nearly 9 years ago! Download the original article and compare for yourself!

Do you have thoughts on the demand for Jewish women’s eggs? The repeating nature of history? Please leave your comments below!