Jewish Bioethics

Beliefs & Practices

Abortion and Judaism

The Jewish position on abortion is nuanced, neither condoning it nor categorically prohibiting it.

Health & Wellness

Judaism and Fertility Technology

Jewish authorities do not object to fertility technology, but have concerns with some of the specific methods. 

End of Life

Death vs. Brain Death in Judaism

When someone can be officially determined dead depends on one's interpretation of a key passage in the Talmud.

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Does Judaism Believe in the Right to Die?

All denominations of Judaism prohibit assisted suicide and euthanasia, but there is some room for nuance.

Euthanasia: A Jewish View

Traditional rabbinic authorities forbid instigating the death of a terminally ill patient.

In Vitro Fertilization: Jewish Considerations

Most Jewish authorities permit test tube conception, but worry about what to do with the unneeded genetic material.

Judaism and Surrogate Motherhood

Rabbis across the denominational spectrum question the morality of surrogacy, but some believe that these concerns can be allayed.

Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide: Some Biblical and Rabbinic Sources

The Torah prohibits murder, and the Talmud maintains the prohibition on active killing, even with the terminally ill.

Some Modern Views on Euthanasia

Contemporary Jewish thinkers have expressed a wide range of opinions about the permissibility and parameters of euthanasia.

Artificial Insemination in Jewish Law

Most rabbis permit artificial insemination using the husband's semen, but donor insemination raises more complicated questions.

The Morning After Pill and Judaism

Morning After Pill in Jewish Law. Judaism Parameters of Abortion. Abortion and Judaism. Jewish Bioethics. Judaism and Medical Technology. Jewish Ideas and Beliefs.

Jewish Views on Organ Donation

Jewish views on organ donation are overridden by a single halakhic (legal) concept: pikuach nefesh—the Jewish obligation to save lives.

Misgivings and Misconceptions

Though most rabbinic authorities allow organ transplants, the Jewish community has a poor track record when it comes to donations.

The Fetus in Jewish Law

Does a fetus have the same legal status as a person?

Gene Therapy and Genetic Engineering in Judaism

Using genetic technology for therapeutic purposes is acceptable, but many related issues have yet to be addressed.

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