Reform halacha? Yes, says HUC veteran Washofsky

a recent Shabbat morning, Temple Sinai congregants pondered the issues surrounding assisted suicide from a Jewish perspective. They read and discussed references to facilitating death found in the Code of Jewish Law, writings of ancient rabbis and the Book of Samuel. They then learned how these texts influenced a group of contemporary Reform rabbis to issue a responsum, “Treatment of the Terminally Ill.” The study session was led by Rabbi Mark Washofsky, PhD, who was in Denver that Shabbat to receive the Isaac Mayer Wise Award, presented jointly by Temples Emanuel and Sinai at Friday night services held at Sinai, Jan. 5. Washofsky is the Solomon B. Freehof Professor of Jewish Law and Practice at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati. He has […]