The importance of discussing halacha’s approach to medical aid in dying

“Do you want to die?” A woman in her 70’s with ALS paused before answering. Once a vibrant professional fashion designer, a wife and a mother, her world had narrowed to a body that was failing her. She had recently fallen, leaving visible bruises on her face and legs. Her family surrounded her during her final days, cooking together, laughing, and crying. She had already qualified for Medical Aid in Dying (also known as physician-assisted suicide) and had decided, with the support of her family, to self-administer the medication that would end her life. When asked the question, she responded quietly, “No. I don’t want to die. I just don’t want to live like this.” That distinction is at the heart of a growing and deeply complex conversation. 

On Sunday, May 17th, Ematai will host its second Continuing Medical Education (CME) program, “Medical Aid in Dying (MAID): Navigating Halacha, Ethics, and Culture.” As medicine advances, many religious, ethical, and emotional questions surrounding how we live and how we die emerge. Medical Aid in Dying is a legally regulated medical practice in which mentally capable, terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live may voluntarily request a prescription medication to self-administer in order to end their life. The requirement of self-administration distinguishes this from euthanasia, which is not legal in the United States. MAID is legal in both New York and New Jersey. 

In March, Ematai hosted its first CME program on ECMO (Extra-corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) and mechanical circulatory support, a life-support technology that can temporarily take over the function of the heart and lungs. ECMO can be lifesaving, but it can also become what some describe as a “bridge to nowhere,” when there is no clear path to eventual recovery. That program highlighted a critical reality: modern medicine often presents us with situations where what we can do is not always aligned with what we should do, halachically or ethically. The same is true, and perhaps even more so, when it comes to MAID. 

When I share that Ematai is addressing this topic, I am often asked, “What is the halachic question? Isn’t the answer obvious?” From a halachic perspective, actively ending one’s life, even in the setting of terminal illness, is forbidden. So why engage with this topic at all?

Because if we want to respond to individuals and families with compassion, clarity, and halachic integrity, we must understand what is driving the request and what viable options may be presented through thoughtful discussion. 

In Canada, MAID was legalized in 2016 specifically for the terminally ill, but has since expanded to include chronic illness and non-terminal conditions, with further expansion under consideration. In 2023 alone, more than 15,000 Canadians died through MAID, representing nearly five percent of all deaths nationwide. These numbers are not abstract. They include individuals across communities, including Jews, some religiously affiliated, and some even connected to Orthodox communities, who made their decision during moments of vulnerability, pain, and fear. 

Those who inquire about MAID are often not seeking death itself. They are rather seeking relief from suffering, preservation of dignity, and some measure of control in a situation that feels overwhelmingly out of control. If we do not understand those real concerns, we cannot adequately address them.

Judaism places infinite value on life, while also recognizing the reality of pain and suffering. This creates a responsibility not only to uphold life, but to care for those who are suffering in meaningful and compassionate ways. The question is not only how we respond to MAID, but what we offer instead. How do we improve pain management, strengthen palliative and hospice care, and ensure that no one feels that the only option is to end his or her life? 

This is the work of Ematai. Our role is to educate, to guide, and to help individuals and families have conversations about these matters before they reach a moment of crisis. 

Please join us on May 17th at 10:00 am via Zoom, together with Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody and Dr. Ellen Warner, as we explore the medical realities, ethical tensions, cultural context, and of course the halachic framework surrounding Medical Aid in Dying, as well as the alternatives that both medicine and our community must continue to strengthen.

Originally written by Bassie Taubes, Ematai’s Director of Community Outreach, and published in The Jewish Link May 9, 2026.