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March 21, 2005
Union
of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
Welcomes Congressional
& Presidential Action in Case
of Terri Schiavo
Today, the Union of
Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – the nation’s largest
Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – welcomed actions taken by
the U.S. Congress and President Bush to open the opportunity for a
federal court to review the issues associated with the case of Ms.
Terri Schiavo.
UOJCA Leaders issued the following statement:
Jewish tradition holds the preservation of human life as one of
its supreme moral values. It takes precedence over virtually all
other moral values. Nevertheless, Judaism -- acutely linked to the
reality of the human condition - realizes there are circumstances
in which a person might long for death. Even with this
appreciation of our human reality, Jewish Law does not reduce the
mandate that we preserve life, even under the most challenging
conditions.
Judaism does not support
“physician assisted suicide” nor does it support the withdrawal of
life support from critically ill persons, as we recognize that
even those who suffer the most severe physical and mental
disabilities bear the Divine Image.
While the UOJCA believes
that American law must be sensitive to the fact that decisions in
cases such as Ms. Schiavo’s must primarily rest in the hands of
family members in consultation with their clergy and doctors, the
law enacted by Congress and signed by the President does nothing
more than ensure that a fresh review of this tragic case will be
conducted by a federal court. Inasmuch as Ms. Schiavo’s life is at
stake and decisions regarding it are irreversible, the further
review of her case is the most prudent course of action.
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