When critical illness strikes within the Jewish community, who can best advise on the course of action families should take? Is it the physician, rabbi, or family members themselves? To address this issue, the OU’s Department of Community Services, in conjunction with the Bikur Cholim of Raritan Valley, will present a communal symposium, free of charge, on the topic When Serious Illness Strikes and Decisions Have to be Made: Who Decides – the Patient, the Physician, the Rabbi, the Family? A Practical Guide for Orthodox Families. The event will be held Sunday, May 18, 8:00-10:00 p.m., at Ohr Torah Congregation, 48 Edgemont Road, Edison.

Frank Buchweitz, Director of OU’s Department of Community Services and Special Projects, declared, “This program provides critical information on practical scenarios during times of illness. The information provided helps answer the questions that people have when illness strikes, which may help them to proceed in a calm and deliberate manner.”

The program will feature a panel discussion with the following speakers:
• Rabbi Tzvi Flaum, Congregation Kneseth Israel, Far Rockaway, NY, Mashgiach Ruchani, Lander College for Women, who will speak about Halachic considerations;
• Batsheva Schreiber, RN, BSN, CCM, President and CEO of CareManagers, Inc., who will speak about care management and family support services;
• Russell Adler, Esq., Eldercare Attorney, who will speak about legal and financial concerns, and
• Andrew R. Freedman, M.D., F.C.C.P., F.A.A.S.M., Pulmonary and Critical Care Associates, PA, Central Jersey Sleep Disorders Center, who will address the topic of medical challenges and concerns.

A question and answer session will follow the panel discussion.

For further information, contact Frank Buchweitz, at 212-613-8188, or frank@ou.org.