Lesson 1
SAFEGUARDING OUR HEALTH
Navigating the Hazards of Everyday Living
We all endeavor to protect our health, but we often question whether we do enough. What do you tell your child when he wants to play running back on his high school football team? Should you be concerned with the potential radiation hazards of using a cell phone? How do you draw the line between keen vigilance and exaggerated panic mongering?
Lesson 2
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.
Lesson 3
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.
Lesson 4
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.
Lesson 5
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?
Lesson 6
NO UTERUS? NO PROBLEM
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.