20—Friday, February 4, 1972

_ -
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Jerusalem Center Aids Handicaped
Israeli Youths to Cope With Life

Orthodox Pathologist Discusses Autopsies

Currently in Israel, the" right -of I only an autopsy can deterMine ter: - the •rabbis, 'or religious lead-
autopsy in regard to religious law their side -effects, says Prof.
ers,-should have a say, if only a
has aroused controversy and
Stern. The number el highly consulting opinion.
threats of violence. On the one
sophisticated brain and heart
"If a person appeals to a rabbi
JERUSALEM—More than 1,000 salem Infant and Child Develop- hand, one ultra - religious group,
operations is assuming an ever to uphold his plea that , mi autopsy
are born each, year here with ment Center was established in opposed to autopsy, has threatened
greater role. For those which
should
not - be performed, the
handicaps or pith the threat of September 1970, in the heart of pathologists who perform them.
succeed, there is no question of rabbi should have the legal right
handicaps developing. These dis- Jerusalem's New City. It was con- Another group has threatened the an autopsy, but determining the
to advise the doctor against it.
abilities may range from severe ceived and established as a co- zealots if they interfere with the reasons for the other's failures
The final decision IS 'a -Medical
physical diseases or malformation, operative effort by Malben, the pathologists' work.
may save the life of the next one, but the doctor :should listen
as may be caused by muscular Joint Distribution Committee's
patient.
Dr. Kurt Stern, 62, is a rare
to the rabbi or religions leader?'
dystrophy or polio, to mental re- program in Israel,' Hadassah and combination. He has been a prac-
,But what happens if a person
Prof. Stern is convineed- an ac-
tardation and emotional disturb- local agencies, as the result of a ticing pathologist for 25 years and refuses to have an autopsy per-
ceptable solution of the autopsy
ances.
series of studies on the needs of an observant Jew all his life. Prof- formed—on religious grounds, or problem will emerge*
because
The center works closely with the handicaped children in Jeru- essor of life sciences at Bar-Ilan even without religious grounds?
Judaism' is not "anti:sCiMice" or
accepts referrals -from both.
salem and the facilities available University, fie is caught in the
"If he is a true 'conscientious "anti-progress," and,, the.: basic
To care for these, the weakest for their care.
middle of the controversy. He says: objector,' his wishes should be
premise of this meitAtesirable
of the city's children, the Jeru-
"The pathologists are both right firmly respected by the medical
In the year and a half since the
development is natural respect and
and
wrong; they are right in carry- profession," Prof. Stern says.
center opened its doors it has
good
faith in each other ofphysi-
treated several hundred handi- ing out autopsies, but they and the "Surgeons do not operate on a live cians, rabbis and various segments
caped children and their families. physicians requesting the autopsy person without asking his consent. of the general public.-
The center's services, which are are wrong in failing to honor ob- They should not operate on a dead
free, begin at birth, or even be- jections against performance of an body either.
Conceit is- just as natural a
fore if there are indications that autopsy by the family or the de-
"Even if an autopsy on his body
the infants may be or may become ceased prior to his death.
can save another life, the patient thing to human minds as a' center
"The
rabbis
are
right
in
op-
is
to a circle.—Oliver Wendell
handicaped. They are provided
should not be forced to consent,
by a team of doctors, nurses and Posing autopsies of such 'conscien- nor should the autopsy be per- Holmes, Sr.
tious
objectors'
but
they
are
wrong
social scientists under the leader-
formed without his consent.
OF HARVARD ROW
ship of Professor Alex Russell of in not consulting with the path-
"Unless we respect a person's
Designers of Fine Furs
the Hebrew University Medical ologists and other physicians in wishes, it can lead to situations
those instances where the per-
Complete Fur Service
School.
where
we can force persons with
The Center works closel3 with formance of an autopsy is not only rare types of blood, or anyone in
11 MILE AND LAHSER
permissible, but according to Hala-
well baby clinics and hospita s and kha may be
times of national emergencies, to
Phone: 358-0850
a mitzva," he said.
accepts referrals from both.
donate blood." - '
Dr. Stern, who was born in
As for the "Public Committee
ern
Vienna, and_ took his medical -
limunimmummmEnnalumum
for Safeguarding Human Dig-
mon
Shevat
degree at the University of Vien-
nity," Prof. Stern approves of
5732
na 38 years ago, immigrated
its
basic
preeept,
namely
that
to the U.S. in 1938. He joined
the wishes of a "conscientious
the University of Illinois, where
Jan. 17 to Feb. 15
objector," religious or secular,
he became a professor of path-
should
be honored. He is whole-
JNF Sabbath Jan. 29
ology, a post he gave up in 1969
heartedly against the small group
to go to Israel.
Grace Your Family
of zealots who are now conduct-
He says he is not an expert on
ing the terror campaign, as he
Celebrating
Try Some Veal Scallopini or
Halakha, but it is fallacious to is against the counter-terror
• Birthdays
believe that the halakhic demand
campaign.
Pepper Steak
• Anniversaries
for complete burial is based on the
The - solution of the entire prob-
belief
that
the
physical
•
integrity
Weddings-
From Our Freezer Counter
of the body is a prerequisite for lem, Prof. Stern says, is for the
• Other Family
21780 W. 11 MILE, SOUTHFIELD
resurrection. By the same token, doctors and the rabbis to "de-
Member Detroit
Occasions
Kest.. Moat
after the autopsy, all organs can polarize," to sit down and thrash
by . . .
Located in the Harvard Row Mall
Dealers Association
out suitable methods of advanc-
be returned for burial.
Planting Tress
FREE DELIVERY • EL 6-5110-1
ing
the
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while
re-
Filling Your JNF Box
The present Orthodox view was
S. Mirves, J. Katz, I. Zoks, D. Krosmon, Proprietors
Redeeming Dunams of Load_
first formulated by Rabbi Yeches- specting the wishes of conscienti-
ous objectors. "But the law of
Inscription Iw dm Gotilaseillook
kel Landau, known as Noda be,
Inscription in the Sabi Merited
Yehuda. His interpretation, which anatomy and pathology gives the
Inscription in dm &Art Rir-Mitava
he wrote in 1776, , says that an doctors the entire say in the mat-
BANK
autopsy can be performed if it is
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AMERICARD
for the benefit for a holeh shel- Communism
•
What a Communist he is! He
Oak Park, Mich.:48237
lifanenu
(the sick person who is
MASTER
BLAZE AWAY .
near us), that is, the patient must would have an equal distribution
CHARGE
Phone V68-0820
be near in "time and place" to the of sin as well as property.—Oscar
body upon which the autopsy will Wilde.
in the newest
be performed.
But, as Rabbi I. Jakobovits, the
look from our
present chief rabbi of Great Bri-
tain, has said, in these days of
an ever-shrinking world, the holeh
great
WHEREAS — A group of public-spirited
shel-lifanenu concept can be great-
men and women organized themselves into
ly extended. It is certainly ,quicker
collection
to go from Paris to London by
MIKVAH ISRAEL association, and _ _
plane that it was to go by horse
from one village to another nearby
WHEREAS — MIKVAH ISRAEL has worked
of smart
in Rabbi Landau's time.
unceasingly for TAHARATH HAMISHPACHA,
But Rabbi Jakobovits says that —
FAMILY PURITY, and
fashions
despite this•each case should be
judged on its own merits. He
WHEREAS — MIKVAH ISRAEL has been
further states that performing an
for
maintaining a new and modern MIKVAH
autopsy in the case of pilmah
nefesh ("saving a life") 9s not
15750 West 10 Mile Road, Oak Park and
only a matter of permission but
Spring!
WHEREAS — The observance of FAMILY
of obligation and mitzva."
PURITY is one of the most fundamental com-
The medical case for performing
autopsies is unimpeachable from a"
mandments of the TORAH, and
medical viewpoint, Prof. Stern
says.
Added Attraction!
WHEREAS — We sincerely believe that
A pathologist's work centers
one rack of
the future existence of the Jewish people hinges
around examining specimens of tis-
LONG r_GOWNS. &:
greatly upon the observance of this MITZVAH
sue so the attending physician can
(Commandment) ;
make a proper diagnosis in order
HOSTESS ROBES
- •
that the patient can be cured or
all reduced
BE IT RESOLVED, that this Sabbath Febru-
helped. It is the attending doctor
who has lost his patient, and not
AND
ary 5, 1971, of Parshe Yitro, be proclaimed
1
MORE!
the pathologist, who makes the
TAHARATH HAMISHPACHA SABBATH, AND
while they last!
decision about post mortem.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that every
But; as Prof. Stern notes, the
doctors often ignore the law in
Rabbi preach on this Sabbath morning about
asking for an autopsy.
the meaning, significance and importance of
OPEN SUNDAY
In addition to determining the
. TAHARATH HAAAISPACHA, and
cause of death in specific cases,
NOON TO 5
autopsies have led to the discovery
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Jewish
of cause and effect relationships
Community of Greater Detroit be called upon
in many cases, such as smoking
3E3 T-7 1=2.. "X' 0 1ST .0
cigarettes and lung cancer, or high
to aid and assist generously the holy work of
blood pressure and kidney disease.
MIKVAH ISRAEL.
GLAMOUR AND LEISURE SPORTSWEAR
FASHIONS
In view of the fact that Altere
VAAD HARMONIUM OR DETROIT
11 Mile & Lahser
is an ever-increasing -stream of
HARVARD ROW MALL
Rabbi leer 4nn
Southfield
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