Virtual Event: Honoring Parents as They Age
THE MITZVAH & THE CHALLENGE: NAVIGATING KIBUD AV V’EM & CARE AS OUR PARENTS AGE Balancing kibud av v'em with the challenges of aging, cognitive decline, and shifting parent-child dynamics.…
Praying for the Ill on Shabbat
Petitioning God on Shabbat is generally restricted, but what does that mean for praying for the sick? We often imagine Shabbat as the day when prayer reaches its peak. Services…
Praying for Miraculous Healing
Many patients and families facing terminal illness and no known cure confront a profound question: Is it appropriate to pray for a “miracle” when medical experts have determined that death…
Pain Medication at the End-of-Life
One of the most frequent questions that Ematai receives relates to the use of pain medications toward the end of life. For many patients dying from a terminal illness, the…
Why Do We Recite Tehilim?
Prayers during a time of illness are a natural religious instinct. In times of distress, when one’s fate or that of a loved one feels particularly uncertain, we turn to…
Organ Donation Registration
It’s important to discuss your preferences regarding posthumous organ donation with your healthcare proxy and loved ones. As with all end-of-life care decision making, it is extremely difficult for your…
Elder Abuse
Every older adult is entitled to respect and dignity. Unfortunately, some are deprived of their basic safety and security. Judaism stresses the importance of showing respect for our elders. “You…
Wills and Documents
Taking Responsibility for Yourself and Your Loved Ones “If I am Not for Myself, Who Will Be For Me?” (Pirkei Avot 1:14) This famous teaching of Hillel the Elder is…
Caregiver Stress
Balancing Responsibility with Self-Care Caring for an older adult is both a privilege and a mitzvah. It can be deeply rewarding, but it also comes with challenges. Over time, the…
Prayers for the Terminally Ill
Watching a terminally ill patient suffer is not easy. Emotionally, we just want them to get better, but we understand that medical options have been exhausted and nature is now…
Prayers at the Time of Death
Prayers of a Sick Person Facing Critical Illness or a Major Procedure Classic Jewish thought views terminal illness as an important time for introspection, prayer, and repentance. One of the…
Funeral Rituals
The Funeral Service The traditional Jewish funeral service is a relatively simple but emotionally powerful tribute to the deceased. The service is directed toward honoring the departed through heartfelt eulogies,…
Mourning Rituals
Jewish mourning practices provide a profound roadmap to help guide the bereavement process. They are comprised of a series of laws and customs that delineate many marks in the mourning…
Pain Relief in Jewish Law
Judaism is concerned about the quality of life. Illness can be associated with unbearable suffering, and the Torah mandates us to try to alleviate such agony. The patient’s assessment and…
Emotional Support for the Patient and Their Families
The Sages stressed the importance of visiting the sick (“bikur cholim” in Hebrew) and asserted that it is a mitzvah with endless opportunities and possibilities. There are number of benefits…
Mental Health and Goal Setting
People facing critical or terminal illnesses often find themselves emotionally grappling with their condition. Confronting mortality is incredibly difficult, especially when accompanied by the aches and pains of physical illness.…
Time of Death and Posthumous Organ Donation
“Dead Donor Rule” Judaism supports posthumous organ donation. But before a family or hospital staff can discuss organ donation, we must first confirm that the patient has died. Ethicists around…
Misconceptions about Judaism & Organ Donation
The following 4 propositions are true: Judaism supports blood donation. It saves lives. Judaism supports bone-marrow donation. It saves lives. Judaism supports live altruistic organ donation, such as kidneys. It…
Option 18
Welcome to Option 18, the organ donor education initiative of Ematai. In Jewish culture, the number 18 symbolizes life (in Hebrew, חי, chai). The numbers 1 and 8 also symbolize…
Living Donation
What Does Judaism Say About Blood Donation, Bone Marrow Donation, and Living Organ Donation? Judaism supports blood donation. It saves lives. Judaism supports bone-marrow donation. It saves lives. Judaism supports…
General Principles of End-of-Life Care
Key Principles of Decision-Making Regarding End-of-Life Treatment These principles give a general outline of the values that guide Ematai’s perspective on end-of-life care. All specific questions regarding individual cases should…
Withholding and Withdrawing Treatment
Through the miracles of modern medicine, many critically or terminally ill patients can maintain productive lives that include meaningful interactions with loved ones and other members of society. Yet sadly,…
Resuscitation and DNRs
What is a DNR? Does Jewish Law Ever Believe a DNR is Appropriate? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VMl28SX0I0 When a person’s heart stops beating (“cardiac arrest”), the heart cannot pump blood to the brain,…
Intubation and DNI
What is a DNI? Does Jewish Law Ever Believe a DNI is Appropriate? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=946FEW5ZvXk Many conditions can cause a person to have difficulty breathing. Examples include: Heart attack Overdose of…
Artificial Feeding
https://youtu.be/IsS-2E3A0oU When a person cannot consume food or liquids orally, there are a number of different methods to administer artificial nutrition and hydration. Some key terms and methods of artificial…
Hospice Care
Hospice is not a place but a philosophy of care. Hospice cares for people wherever they are located: their home, a nursing or assisted living facility, or a hospital. This…
Truth Telling and Communication
When someone is facing serious health challenges, healthcare professionals and family members often struggle to discuss their diagnosis and prognosis. Sharing difficult news, especially about mortality, is never easy. Some…
Living Facilities and Nursing Homes
In the 12th century, two great Jewish scholars debated the responsibility for taking care of elderly parents. Maimonides, the famous legalist and physician, asserted that if a child could no…
Dementia
How Judaism Views Patients with Dementia What is Dementia? Dementia describes a group of symptoms associated with a decline in memory, reasoning or other thinking skills. It is caused by…
Frailness and Chronic Illness
When deciding about new medical intervention in very ill patients, it is helpful to distinguish between two different types of cases: “End-of-life” illness: Patients who have a definite, incurable disease…
