Jewish Health & Healing Practices
According to rabbinic lore, there was no aging process until Abraham and no disease until Jacob (Babylonian Talmud [BT] Sanhedrin 107b). According to legend, death came instantly through a sneeze,...
View ArticleAsk the Expert: Egg Donors
Question: My husband and I have had trouble conceiving and are considering using an egg donor. It’s very important to us that our child be considered Jewish. Do we need to find a Jewish egg donor?...
View ArticleIs Kosher Food Healthier?
Kosher foods are those that conform to Jewish dietary laws as given in the Torah and expanded by the rabbis. People who keep kosher do not eat certain animal species including pigs, birds of prey, and...
View ArticleHow to Visit the Sick When You Can’t Visit the Sick
The Talmud says that the first fulfillment of the commandment to visit the sick, or bikkur cholim in Hebrew, is in the book of Genesis, when God comes to visit Abraham after his circumcision. Abraham...
View ArticleSaving a Life (Pikuach Nefesh)
The preservation of human life takes precedence over all the other commandments in Judaism. The Talmud emphasizes this principle by citing the verse from Leviticus [18:5]: “You shall therefore keep my...
View ArticleJewish Genetic Diseases: Resource Guide
Jewish genetic diseases are a group of rare autosomal recessive disorders that are far more prevalent among people with Jewish ancestry than in the general population. Below are some resources for...
View ArticleJudaism and Fertility Technology
One of the first commandments in the Torah is to “be fruitful and multiply,” and procreation has always been an important value in Jewish tradition. Modern medical technologies–such as artificial...
View ArticleThe Contemporary Jewish Healing Movement
Jewish culture has a long, rich, and venerable corpus of healing traditions, including, for example, wearing protective amulets, consulting rabbis and holy men in order to receive their blessing and...
View ArticleIllness & Healing
Ancient Judaism acclaimed God as source of health and illness, with sickness a divine-mandated punishment for individual and communal sins. In the Bible, God is viewed as responsible for all healing,...
View ArticleDirectory of Jewish Genetic Diseases
The following diseases are included in the basic panel for genetic testing recommended by the Jewish Genetic Diseases Consortium. An additional 19 are included in an expanded 38-disease panel. Another...
View ArticleAsk the Expert: Kosher Pig
Question: A dear (gentile) friend’s brother recently had life-saving heart valve replacement surgery. The surgeons used a heart valve from a pig, which apparently is the best option for such a...
View ArticleDoes Judaism Allow Organ Donations?
Organ donation, the process of transplanting healthy human organs into sick patients, can be a life-saving procedure, which is why many Jewish authorities from across the denominational spectrum...
View ArticleJewish Genetic Diseases: Frequently Asked Questions
Estimates are that at least one in three Ashkenazi Jews worldwide are carriers for at least one of the genetic diseases common in the Jewish population. For the most common of those diseases, Gaucher...
View ArticleJewish Genetic Screening
Jewish genetic diseases are incurable, so the best defense against them is genetic screening to identify individuals who are carriers for particular diseases. Couples in which both partners are...
View ArticleJudaism and Suicide
The suicide of a loved one is among the most challenging tragedies a person can face. In addition to the sudden loss, mourners often grapple with feelings of anger and guilt toward the deceased. In...
View ArticleAbortion and Judaism
Abortion is one of the most contentious issues in American politics, and since the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion nationwide, the issue has been a top concern of...
View ArticleWhat Are Jewish Genetic Diseases?
Jewish genetic diseases are a group of rare autosomal recessive disorders that are far more prevalent among people with Jewish ancestry than in the general population. Autosomal recessive diseases are...
View ArticleJewish Prayer for the Sick: Mi Sheberach
One of the central Jewish prayers for those who are ill or recovering from illness or accidents is the Mi Sheberach. The name is taken from its first two Hebrew words. With a holistic view of...
View ArticleJudaism and Mental Illness
An estimated one in five Americans suffer from some form of mental illness annually, and medical understanding of psychiatry and psychology has advanced dramatically in the past century.Nonetheless,...
View ArticleBirkat Hagomel, a Jewish Prayer of Gratitude
Birkat Hagomel (pronounced beer-KHAT hah-GOH-mel), sometimes known as “benching gomel,” is commonly said after recovering from serious illness but can also be recited in gratitude for completing a...
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