When I was a synagogue rabbi, I bemoaned the fact that so much of what I did was death-centered. Well, the past couple of weeks have been a throwback to that time, due to a confluence of events: An interest by local organizations in having seminars on "end of life" care, and the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling, on February 6, that physician-assisted suicide should be legal.
The result is that this is the major topic everyone wants to hear about. So on Monday evening I spoke at a synagogue on Assisted Death, and Tuesday evening I spoke for a UJA program on end of life care. On Wednesday I have a lunch and learn at an accounting firm, and they want to talk about assisted death. Then, on Sunday of next week, I am to speak at another synagogue on End of Life care.
It's good that people want to hear Judaism speak to these issues, and I'm honoured to be asked, but boy... what I wouldn't give to be asked to speak about fertility treatments instead...
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
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Maybe the lack of worry about the halakhos of fertility treatments is for positive reasons?
ReplyDeleteI would be happiest if the accounting firm just wanted shiurim on Monetary Halakhah and Ethics. Neither knowing anyone who needs help in the procreating department, nor having reason to wonder about death either, and just interested in how to spend the time in between in holiness.
As for the UJA, I'm just happy when they want to hear an Orthodox Rabbi talk religion. That alone is a win.
R' Micha-
ReplyDeleteI was joking with the fertility example; there are opportunities to discuss those as well. And the accounting firms do often request business ethics topics, I am glad to say.