New York – Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) and Calvary Hospital have teamed up to address the needs of observant Jews who are confronted with end-of-life issues and require religious guidance. To that end, Yeshiva University has established the YU/RIETS End-of-Life Halachic Advisory Program.
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According to a press release provided by YU, a rabbinical panel consisting of Rabbi Herschel Schachter, Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger, Rabbi Mordechai Willig, and Rabbi Moshe Tendler – all of whom have dealt extensively with end-of-life halachic matters – will be available on a rotating basis to act as pre-hospice advisors and to answer questions from patients’ family members or rabbis following a medical determination that hospice care is warranted.
A panel of physicians affiliated with Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University will also consult with the rabbinical panel about clinical issues pertaining to the terminally ill. Dr. Edward Burns, Dr. Seymour Huberfeld, Dr. Beth Popp, Dr. Edward Reichman, and Dr. Robert Sidlow have been selected to serve on the panel.
“There is a pressing need in the Orthodox community for accurate and thorough information on the conditions under which end-of-life care should be provided,” said Dr. Edward Burns, the executive dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Observant patients admitted to Calvary’s home hospice care facility can expect treatment “in accordance with their faith traditions.” This includes pastoral care with two staff rabbis from RIETS; end-of-life counseling in keeping with Jewish tradition; kosher meals and cholov yisroel dairy items upon request; a kosher food pantry with two microwaves, a refrigerator and sink; a shabbos lounge; and the observance of shabbos and all major Jewish holidays. There is also an eruv in the Einstein and Pelham Parkway communities.
The YU/RIETS End-of-Life Halachic Advisory Program is accessible to any observant Jew seeking counsel about end-of-life affairs regardless of which hospice care facility they choose. More information about the Program can be obtained online at http://yu.edu/riets/end-of-life-care.
Years ago my mother was in Calvary hospice for end of life care. It is truly the finest hospice I ever heard of. My mothers’ care was under strict halachic guidelines and the hospice was totally amenable to any and all directives from our Rav. The family support, the care and concern for the patient’s comfort was unsurpassed. For the first time in my life, I gave a donation to a catholic institution. From personal experience, I can truly recommend Calvary Hospital.
rabbi tendler is playing doctor after doctoring his father in laws psokim. he has been quoted publicly claiming end of life laws in the name of reb moshe when there are tshuvos and reb moshe’s sons stating explicitly not like his claims.
We need more news stories like this one.
I was in Calvary a few days ago to visit someone that is there nebech for end of life care. I must say, the staff are true angels one by one. The patient I visited is truly calm and extremely happy with the care. I met the liaison Rabbi Rothenberg from Washington Heights, a true mench!! Calvary keep it up!!
I asked Rabbi Dovid Feinstein, Rav Moshe’s son, what his father’s position was about organ donation (including donating a beating heart). Video here: http://www.hods.org/english/h-issues/YouTube_video pages/RabbiDovidFeinstein.asp
EXCERPT OF TRANSCRIPTION OF VIDEO
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein: My father’s position was very simply that the stopping of breathing is—the point of—that’s death. It doesn’t matter if the heart is functioning or it doesn’t function. As long as he stops breathing he’s considered dead. That’s the way he explained the Gemara in Yoma, that’s the way he said they always did in Europe when the Chevra Kadisha would test if a person is dead or not. He always used to test his breathing and nothing else.
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein: The original dispute… there were people disputed to Rabbi Tendler’s opinion that brain death is stopping of breathing. That’s all. And if he’s 100% right, no one’s going to argue with him.
Interviewer: So… so, you’re saying, in your opinion, if we could—if it’s proven medically, what Rabbi Tendler’s saying, that that would definitely be Rav Moshe’s opinion.
Rabbi Dovid Feinstein: Right, a hundred percent.
why don’t Jews set up more hospices instead of having to rely on others?
the aguda is doing this for years, they have a group of rabonim, Dr, attorneys who tackle end of life issues according to halacha, they arranged a hospice service via MJHS you can look it all up at http://www.chayimaruchim.com
Concerning brain death and R’ Moshe: R’Moshe died in 1985. He was just starting to address these issues. There are indications from the little we have that he would
have supported the concept, as Rav Tendler advocates. But it really is not 100% clear either way. (E.g. R’ Moshe talked about the criteria for death being someone
who cannot breathe “on his own”, possibly implying that someone who
was only breathing because of a machine wouldnt really be “alive”,
but he never actually *said* that).
That being said, R Tendler is certainly entitled to his opinion. I dont know why he should get such disrespect. Ah, perhaps because he’s associated with YU… Now I understand…
I’m not sure how a rabbinic advisory panel works. Of YU’s 4 members, 3 object to organ donation from a brain-stem dead patient and one supports it. Will they give different opinions to a family or one opinion reached at by a vote. Does anyone know?