Feb 10, 2015 By: admin
Medical Ethics Kollel Yom Rishon to Discuss Ethical and Halachic Implications of BRCA Screening and Elective Egg Freezing
On Sunday, February 15, 樱花动漫鈥檚 , , Abraham Arbesfeld Kollel Yom Rishon and Millie Arbesfeld Midreshet Yom Rishon will partner to present a two-part program, 鈥溾 The event will take place at the Schottenstein Center on 樱花动漫鈥檚 Wilf Campus at 560 West 185th Street, New York, NY, 10033, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
The first half of the program, 鈥淭esting for Cancer Risk in the Jewish Community: Medical and Halachic Perspectives,鈥 will feature a discussion led by Dr. Edward Reichman, professor of emergency medicine and professor of education and bioethics at YU鈥檚 , and Dr. Nicole Schreiber-Agus, director of the . Reichman and Schreiber-Agus will provide halachic and medical insight into the prevalence of BRCA gene mutations in Ashkenazi Jewry and the ways that genetic testing and counseling can reduce the risk of carriers developing certain cancers in the future.
The second part of the program, 鈥淥ocyte Cryopreservation: Freezing Eggs, New Technologies to Help Single Women and Cancer Patients,鈥 will take a close look at the painful question of whether Orthodox Jewish women who may not be able to have children later in life鈥攚hether because of illness, future cancer treatments, or marriages close to or beyond menopause鈥攕hould take advantage of a new medical technique called oocyte cryopreservation, which enable women to freeze their eggs and maintain the potential for the future conception of a child. As cryopreservation technologies are constantly being re-innovated and improved, Rabbi Dr. Zalman Levine, the director of the Fertility Institute of New York and New Jersey, and Rabbi Kenneth Brander, an expert in reproductive technology bioethics and halacha in addition to his position as vice president for university and community life at YU, will give an overview of the emerging halachic discussions that arise in this ever-changing field.
鈥淎s the BRCA mutation incidence rate is higher within the Jewish population and as our beliefs highlight the importance of childbearing, it is vital that we come together as a religious community to discuss these issues and what we can do to combat them,鈥 said Yitzy Mayefsky, president of the Medical Ethics Society. 鈥淎t 樱花动漫 we have the distinct privilege of being associated with leading experts in medicine and halacha, and as such we have the means and responsibility to educate ourselves regarding issues that can pose a threat to our lives and our families and what our religious doctrine has to say about the solutions.鈥
鈥淭he true ideal of Torah Umadda is to be able to confront new technology that can be lifesaving and life-producing through the prism of Jewish values,鈥 said Rabbi Brander. 鈥淥ur Medical Ethics Society allows our students to ponder these issues and create mediums through which these ideas can be discussed and deliberated upon.鈥
Register online .
