Scholars of ethics, law, religion, and other disciplines gathered in New York City in the spring of 2002, for the first of a planned series of conferences on Jewish bioethics. The theme was the quality of life and its interpretation in light of fundamental Jewish values. From that conference, these 10 essays discuss the quality versus the sanctity

Duty and Healing positions ethical issues commonly encountered in clinical situations within Jewish law. It looks at the role of the family, the question of informed consent and the responsibilities of caretakers.

Ethical issues in modern medicine are of great concern and interest to all physicians and health-care providers throughout the world, as well as to the public at large. Jewish scholars and ethicists have discussed medical ethics throughout Jewish history.

"In addition, a number of the earlier chapters have been thoroughly revised in light of current developments. The book is an addition to the library of anyone who is concerned about the interaction between modern medicine and Jewish law in the twenty-first century."--BOOK JACKET.

How do you define the precise moment of death? Should "pulling the plug" and mercy killings be allowed by law? Is it necessary to control the birth of "test tube babies"? Should abortions be legal and freely available? What are the social implications of sex-change operations? Should research on cloning and genetic engineering be allowed and encouraged? Should doctors be permitted to perform medical experiments on human subjects?

Faced with infectious diseases, starvation, lack of medicines, lack of clean water, and safe sewage, Jewish physicians practiced medicine under severe conditions in the ghettos and concentration camps of the Holocaust. Despite the odds against them, physicians managed to supply public health education, enforce hygiene protocols, inspect buildings and latrines, enact quarantine, and perform triage. Many gave their lives to help fellow prisoners. Based on archival materials and featuring memoirs of Holocaust survivors, this volume offers a rich array of both tragic and inspiring studies of the sanctification of life as practiced by Jewish medical professionals. More than simply a medical story, these histories represent the finest exemplification of a humanist moral imperative during a dark hour of recent history.

Narratives and Jewish Bioethics searches for answers to the critical question of what roles ancient narratives play in creating modern norms by Jewish bioethicists utilizing the Jewish textual tradition.