THE JEWISH NEWS
THIS ISSUE 60(P
SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
JUNE 17, 1988 / 2 TAMMUZ 5748
House Passes Autopsy Bill
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
Religious objections could stop
county medical examiners from per-
forming routine autopsies if the
Michigan Senate approves legislation
passed by the House on Wednesday.
A new law would limit rights of
medical examiners, who have final
authority in determining whether an
autopsy should be performed.
The unanimous House vote came
about a year after State Rep. Maxine
Berman first called for more strict
limits on autopsy procedures at the
urging of the Jewish Community
Council. Representatives of the
JCCouncil said they lobbied Jewish
legislators because they feared that
autopsies were performed routinely in
the state.
Autopsies are prohibited by
Jewish law, but Michigan laws does
not address religious objections to the
procedure. According to Halachah,
the body is sacred and should remain
in its natural state at the time of
burial.
"It's a landmark piece of legisla-
tion," said Rabbi Elimelech
Silberberg, who serves on the ex-
ecutive board of the Council of Or-
thodox Rabbis. "The holiness of the
body is paramount to Judaism. Every
religious issue out there makes this
an important decision. Anything
which follows Halachah is good
legislation."
Other religions, including
Temple Law Suit Ends,
Classrooms Approved
DAVID HOLZEL
Staff Writer
Thmple Israel has concluded its five-
year legal fight against the designers
and builders of its West Bloomfield
facility.
Also, the 2,000-family congrega-
tion voted Tuesday at its annual
meeting to add 12 classrooms to its
religious school.
Temple Israel filed suit to repair
what it said were structural defects in
its building that led to serious
leakage. Architectural firm TMP
Associates and builder Etkin,
Johnson and Korb, Inc. recently
agreed to an undisclosed financial set-
tlement that synagogue officials say
will be used to repair the building's
roof and walls.
The three parties accepted recom-
mendations of court-appointed
Continued on Page 12
Moslems and Christian Scientists,
also have objections to autopsies in
certain cases.
"This has understandably placed
many people, particularly in the
Jewish community, in an extraor-
dinarily difficult and tragic position,"
Berman said. "There is no reason our
autopsy laws cannot be more sen-
sitive?'
Fred Goldenberg, chairman of the
JCCouncil Community Relations
Committee, and Jewish legislators
said medical examiners throughout
the state have too much leeway and
perform too many routine autopsies.
Goldenberg said no isolated
religious incident prompted the in-
terest in autopsy laws. Rather, he
said, it is a preventative measure to
assure people of their first amend-
ment rights.
Wayne County Medical Examiner
Dr. Werner Spitz disagrees. He said
any changes to the law are unnec-
cessary and would make it difficult
for the expert medical examiners to
adequately do their jobs.
"To make a law like this is total-
ly wrong," Spitz said. "They are put-
ting the cart before the horse. I know
the medical examiner has broad
discretion, but shouldn't he?"
Spitz said he does not perform
autopsies without first talking with
survivors. Spitz said he has never
done an autopsy in cases where fami-
ly members violently objected to the
Continued on Page 11
The Heller triplets share a big
day at B'nai David ... Page 49.
Party
Guide
Eye
On
The
News
CONTENTS PAGE 7
DRUG
MYTH
Alcohol and drug
abuse are eroding
the Jewish
community belief
that 'It can't
happen here'