COURSE OVERVIEW
SAFEGUARDING OUR HEALTH
BRCA, Genetic Testing, and Preventive Measures
We all endeavor to protect our health, but we often question whether we do enough. Scientists have recently identified the BRCA genetic mutations (common in Ashkenazi Jews) that significantly increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Are you obliged to test for it? And if you have it, how far should you go in taking preventive measures? Where do you draw the line between keen vigilance and pointless panic?
END-OF-LIFE DILEMMAS
Prolonging Life vs. Prolonging Death
Resuscitate? Do not resuscitate? How does one decide what to inscribe in their living will? The value of life is immeasurable, but is the same true for its increments? This lesson discusses the important end-of-life decisions that we need to make today, and offers Jewish perspectives on dying with dignity.
COMPLICATIONS IN PREGNANCY
Aborting One Life to Save Another
Couples undergoing fertility treatment are often advised to reduce the number of fetuses in order to save a high-risk pregnancy. May we end the life of one or two to save the lives of many? Is the fetus considered a life? This lesson discusses Judaism's view on the status of the fetus, and the ethics of choosing one life over another.
CONFRONTING THE ORGAN SHORTAGE
Should the Sale of Organs Be Legal?
Permitting the sale of organs may significantly increase the number of organs available for transplant, potentially saving many thousands of lives. But what effects will this have on human dignity, and on the destitute pressed to sell organs to feed their families? Is our obligation to save lives a precedent to override these concerns?
SANCTITY IN DEATH
Autopsy and Medical Dissection
Many states allow medical schools to use unclaimed cadavers for anatomical dissection. Is this ethical? Is it ever moral to perform an autopsy over a family's objections? Would Jewish law allow one to voluntarily donate his or her body to science? This lesson will examine how Jewish law balances the dignity of the dead with the needs of society.
A GIFT OF GENERATIONS
The Ethics of Uterine Transplants
Until now, surrogacy has been the only solution for women without a healthy womb. However, a recently popularized new fertility treatment, promises to bring them renewed hope. This lesson addresses fascinating ethical concerns surrounding uterine and other non-vital-organ transplants and surgical procedures.
COURSE ENDORSEMENTS
I have had the very good fortune of taking several JLI courses over the last three years. The thought-provoking, educational, and mind-expanding nature of the JLI courses is unique in Jewish adult education. As an educator with thirty years' experience and an interest in our inner and outer lives, I cannot recommend these courses highly enough.
Robert Hedaya, M.D., D.F.A.P.A.,
Georgetown University School of Medicine
While I do not consider myself an observant Jew, JLI has been a transformational journey for me, and I've enjoyed every course. The topics are always thought-provoking and lead to stimulating discussions that are fun and fascinating to analyze.
Jocelyn Friedman, Artist,
Chicago, IL
As our society continues to struggle with thorny and complex medical issues, from end of life to health care to abortion, the Rohr Jewish Learning Institute is continuing to offer fascinating courses that will shed light on these key questions and provide students of all ages with the all-important Torah perspective.
The Hon. Tevi D. Troy, Ph.D.,
Former Dep. Sec. U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services
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