Welcome to the Jakobovits Center for Jewish Medical Ethics
The Jakobovits Center for Jewish Medical Ethics was established to fulfill the vision of its namesake to become an International Center for the study of Jewish Medical Ethics. In addition to being a local resource for ethical clinical practice. We accomplish this mission by educating the next generation of doctors to be highly moral physicians, encourage ethical clinical practice at our affiliated medical centers and provide resources for the academic study of Jewish Medical Ethics. In order to facilitate a global exchange of ideas in Jewish Medical Ethics, international medical conferences are also sponsored by the Center.
In 1985 the Kaplan-Kushlik Foundation under the dynamic leadership of Mendel and Jill Kaplan decided to establish an academic center for study, research and teaching in Jewish Medical Ethics at the Faculty of Health Sciences of Ben-Gurion University in honor of Lord Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits.
The Center has served as a coordinating body for teaching activities in dozens of courses to students of medicine, nursing, physiotherapy, medical management, and laboratory medicine throughout the Faculty of Health Sciences. The Center has organized international meetings, national workshops, lectures and discussion groups over the years to a variety of audiences. Center staff members are invited lecturers throughout Israel and abroad on various subjects of Jewish medical ethics, and have published widely on a variety of subjects. In addition students and young physicians have been encouraged and supported in furthering their studies in medical ethics.
New Developments In July 2007, Dr. Alan Jotkowitz was named the Director of the Jakobovits Center for Jewish Medical Ethics. Dr. Jotkowitz has written extensively in the field of Medical Ethics, in such prestigious journals as the American Journal of Bioethics, the Journal of the American Geriatric Society and the Journal of Medical Ethics and in addition serves as the Associate Editor of the European Journal of Medicine. Following in the footsteps of Lord Rabbi Jakobovits his primary academic research interest is in demonstrating the relevance of traditional Jewish thinking in medical ethics to modern moral dilemmas. He has major interests in the methodology of Jewish Medical Ethics, defining the ethical principles that form the basis of Jewish Medical Ethics and comparison of these principles to other theological constructs.
The Center has supported the development of new courses in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
A course given in Hebrew on Medicine and Jewish Law given by distinguished speakers from all over Israel organized by Asher Waller.
A course given in English for students from the Medical School for International Health and Medicine on general principles in Medical Ethics organized by medical students.
The establishment of a high level course in Jewish Medical Ethics using Rabbi Jakobovits Jewish Medical Ethics as a standard text and concentrating on the respective responses of the two leading twentieth century halakhic decisions in the field, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg.
The establishment of a monthly faculty wide clinical ethics conference.
The establishment of a monthly film series on topics of medical ethics for members of the faculty.
Future Projects
The development of collaborative programs with Ben-Gurion University's Department of Jewish Thought and other institutions of higher learning in Israel and abroad.
The development of a center web site to serve as a resource for study of Jewish Medical Ethics.
Increasing the role of clinical ethics at the affiliated hospitals of the Faculty of Health Sciences and playing an active role in the ongoing efforts to establish a Masters degree in Medical Humanities.
Developing a faculty wide curriculum in medical ethics.
Developing a curriculum in the study of the Holocaust in medical ethics.
Developing a faculty wide internet based journal club in medical ethics.
Ethical consultations, within the clinical departments.
Read our full annual report here. Contact us at: 08-647-7407
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