OU and Puah Institute Address “Clinical and Torah Perspectives on Intimacy and Fertility” 4/29

24 Apr 2012

FOLLOWING NATIONAL INFERTILITY AWARENESS WEEK, OU PARTNERS WITH PUAH INSTITUTE TO ADDRESS “CLINICAL AND TORAH PERSPECTIVES ON INTIMACY AND FERTILITY CHALLENGES,” SUNDAY IN TEANECK

This week, Sunday, April 22-Satuday, April 28, is National Infertility Awareness Week (NIAH), sponsored by a variety of organizations, led by RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association.

One day following the official conclusion of the Week, the Orthodox Union Department of Community Services will present a Medical Ethics Conference, “Clinical and Torah Perspectives on Intimacy and Fertility,” this Sunday, April 29 at Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, 641 West Englewood Avenue in Teaneck.

The Conference is co-sponsored by The Puah Institute, a leading Jerusalem-based organization that assists with and educates about fertility problems. The program, including lunch, is free; pre-registration is mandatory.

The Conference theme will be “Human Relationships and Reproduction.” Rabbi Steven Pruzansky, Rabbi of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun, is the Chairman of the Conference.

The Conference will be comprised of two parts: the morning, beginning at 9:00 a.m. will consist of roundtable discussions for physicians, healthcare professionals and rabbis only; beginning at noon, the keynote address, lunch, and workshops will be open to all. Afternoon workshops will be recorded and archived on the OU Community Services website, www.oucommunity.org.

Frank Buchweitz, Director of OU Community Services, stated, “Family life is at the core of the Jewish community. Many couples face some form of relationship challenge at different stages of married life and feel that they do not have a viable legitimate place to turn for help. This conference, following the conclusion of NIAW, will provide a great deal of pertinent information both for rabbis and healthcare professionals and for the general community.”

Lea Davidson, Executive Director of The Puah Institute, noted, “The roundtable discussions will serve as an interactive forum where cutting-edge innovations in reproductive medicine and therapeutic modalities pertaining to intimacy will be shared through the prism of contemporary halachic and ethical insights which apply to these issues.”

The morning roundtable discussion “Sexual Function and Dysfunction: Diagnosis, Treatment Ethics and Respect” has been planned and implemented in accordance with the policies of the accredited Medical Society of the State of New York, and will earn registered physicians a maximum of 3.0 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. The session will be led by William D. Petok, Ph.D., and Rabbi Gideon Weitzman, Puah Institute Director and Visiting Associate Professor at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

The Conference agenda includes:

10:00-11:00 a.m. — Roundtable Discussions (For Rabbis and Healthcare Professionals Only)

• “Medical Rabbinical Counseling for Every Young Couple” – Scott Chudnoff, M.D., M.S. and Rabbi Richard Weiss, M.D.

• “Sexual Function and Dysfunction: Diagnosis, Treatment Ethics and Respect” – William D. Petok, Ph.D., and Rabbi Weitzman
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. (For Rabbis and Healthcare Professionals Only)

• “Intimacy Challenges: Facing Infertility, Major Illnesses or Infectious Disease” – Harry Lieman, M.D. and Sara Barris, Psy.D.

• “Update on Male Infertility and Erectile Dysfunction” – Natan Bar-Chama, M.D.
12:00 p.m. Conference Opens To All

• “Urgency of Professional, Clergy and Community Communication” – Rabbi Pruzansky

• “Dvar Torah” – Rabbi Kenneth Brander, Dean, Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future
1:00 p.m. – Keynote Address

• “How Far We’ve Come – How Much Further Can We Go” – Rabbi Weitzman
1:30-2:15 p.m. – Concurrent Workshops

• “Dyspareunia (Resolving Painful Intercourse/Intimacy)” – Scott Chudnoff, M.D.,M.S. and Rabbi Richard Weiss, M.D.

• “Intimacy Challenges: Facing Infertility, Major Illness or Infectious Diseases” – Harry Lieman, M.D. and Rabbi Weitzman
2:15-3:00 p.m. – Concurrent Workshops

• “Update on Male Infertility and Erectile Dysfunction” – Natan Bar-Chama, M.D. and William D. Petok, Ph.D.

• “The Dynamics of Marital Intimacy in All Stages of Life” – Sara Barris, Psy.D.
3:00 p.m. – Summation

• Given by Rabbi Weitzman

To register, go to the OU Community Services website www.oucommunity.org, or call 212.613.8300.

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