Aug 28, 2008 -- Miraculous advances in recent medical treatments have raised many ethical and Halakhic [Jewish law] dilemmas, particularly concerning the end of life. The Yeshiva University (YU) Student Medical Ethics Society will address these complex and sensitive issues at its third annual conference, “The Sanctity of Life: A Jewish Approach to End-of-Life Challenges,” on Sunday, September 14, 9 am-3 pm, at YU’s Wilf Campus at 500 West 185th Street, New York, NY. The student-run Medical Ethics Society was founded in fall 2005 with the guidance of YU’s Center for the Jewish Future (CJF) to promote education and awareness of medical ethics at YU and the greater Jewish community. Since that time, the society has grown from a small group of students with common interests to a major campus organization running large-scale events and educational programming with university-wide participation. Its two previous conferences dealt with organ donation and fertility in Jewish law. The conference will draw on the expertise of prominent doctors, rabbis, psychologists, and social workers to explore end-of-life topics, including decision-making capacity, palliation of pain, hospice care, decisions not to treat, do-not-resuscitate orders, and organ donation. All the presenters have extensive professional experience dealing with end-of-life issues in their respective fields. “These are issues that all of us face, either as patients ourselves, family members or members of the community,” says Dr. Beth Popp, director of palliative care at Maimonides Medical Center. “Education about aspects of care for patients with serious illnesses is an important part of being able to handle these issues when we are faced with them.” Dr. Popp will talk about adult end-of-life issues from a medical perspective in the conference's main session, entitled “Moments That Matter.” The conference will also include a psychosocial discussion between Rabbi Kenneth Brander, dean of the CJF, and Rabbi Simcha Scholar, executive vice president of Chai Lifeline. Drawing from their own personal and professional experiences, the rabbis will talk about what is appropriate for parents, family and friends to say and do when faced with pediatric end-of-life challenges. “As an Orthodox Jew, religion plays a vital role in how I deal with medical issues on a daily basis,” says Dr. Stuart M. Greenstein, professor of surgery and an attending surgeon at Montefiore Medical Center – Albert Einstein College of Medicine, who will discuss organ donation. Dr. Greenstein, a Harvard graduate, is one of only a few Orthodox transplant surgeons in the United States. “Rabbis and Jewish patients consult with me all the time. That’s why it is so important that the Jewish community is educated in these matters.” The conference is open to the public but pre-registration is required. To register or for more information go to www.yu.edu/medicalethics or contact YUMedicalEthics@gmail.com.