Balancing Acts: Legal and Moral Perspectives on End-of-Life Decisions
The decisions we make in caring for a dying patient are fraught with emotion. They are also the subject of intense debate among medical professionals and bioethicists, no less within the Jewish community than within society at large, and the tension between traditional Jewish and modern secular positions often complicates these decisions even further. The difference between modern and traditional perspectives on end-of-life care is often framed as the choice between honoring the patient’s autonomy vs. insisting on preserving every moment of life. Yet closer analysis reveals a more complex picture, as halakhists and bioethicists struggle to balance the needs of patients, caregivers and family members.
Join us we take a fresh look at some of the key legal and moral issues in this important contemporary discussion.
