CHAYIM ARUCHIM - TREATING PATIENTS ACCORDING TO HALACHA
PRESS RELEASE June 6, 2021
Shlomo (name changed to protect the confidentiality of the patient and family), a 5 year old previously healthy child, was admitted to a world class hospital in New York in a comatose state, where the doctors deemed him to be presumed brain dead. In order to confirm his brain death status, they were going to perform a brain apnea test, although his parents protested. When the medical team advised the family that they could perform the test without parental consent, his parents reached out to Chayim Aruchim. READ MORE...
Left to Right: Rabbi Eliezer Gewirtzman, Member, Machon Chayim Aruchim; Rivie Schwebel, Vice Chairman, Chayim Aruchim; Rabbi Abba Cohen, Vice President for Federal Affairs and Washington Director and Counsel, Agudath Israel of America; Mr. Roger Severino, Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger, Chairman, Chayim Aruchim; Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, President, Chayim Aruchim and Vice President for Community Affairs, Agudath Israel of America.
Chayim Aruchim Event Highlights Conscience and Religious Freedom in Healthcare
Roger Severino, director of the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights, was the guest speaker at an informative briefing presented by Chayim Aruchim, a project of Agudath Israel of America, championing every individual’s right to exercise their religious freedom even when faced with life-threatening illness. READ MORE...
Chayim Aruchim Celebrates Landmark Legal Victory for Religious Accommodation in Hospitals
On Tuesday, January 15th, Justice of Supreme Court, Hon. Devin P. Cohen ruled that the declaration of death and the death certificate issued for Yechezkal Nakar on May 31, 2017 must be rescinded and replaced by one with the date of his actual death recorded as June 22, 2017. In this landmark decision, Justice Cohen expressed that Mr Nakar’s religious rights had been violated when the hospital performed brain death testing against the family’s religious objection. The judgement further states that “a reasonable accommodation can only occur by working with the patient (or proxy holder). READ MORE...
Northwell CEO Meets with Five Towns, Far Rockaway Community Leaders
It was an impressive turnout as rabbonim and community leaders from the Five Towns and Far Rockaway gathered in Lawrence for an introductory meeting with Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health which currently operates 18 hospitals in New York City, Long Island and Westchester. READ MORE...
Pictured: Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, vice president for community services, Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger, Chairman of the Board of Chayim Aruchim, Assemblyman Richard Gottfried and Rivie Schwebel, a member of Chayim Aruchim’s Board of Directors.
Meeting with New York State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried
On Monday December 21st Chayim Aruchim representatives met with New York State Assemblyman Richard Gottfried, Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee. Among those in attendance were Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger, Chairman of the Board of Chayim Aruchim, Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, Vice President of Community Services for Agudath Israel of America, Rabbi Berish Fried, Chayim Aruchim’s New York State project director and Rivie Schwebel, a member of Chayim Aruchim’s Board of Directors. READ MORE...
(L-R) Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz; Dr. David Reich; Dr. Yashar Hirshaut; Abe Eisner; Marcel Biberfeld, DSW; NYS Health Commissioner Howard Zucker; Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger; Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel
Chayim Aruchim Hailed as Dedicated Advocate for Patients' Rights
Chayim Aruchim Annual Board Meeting - October 29, 2015
Left to right:
Rabbi Shmuel Blech Shlita of Cong. Anshei Sefard Lakewood, NYS Assemblyman Gottfried, Dr. Dan Berman, Rabbi Berish Fried
Chayim Aruchim Presents Case Against Assisted Suicide in Albany Meeting with Legislators
by Sandy Eller
Having spent the last several years advocating for the rights of critically ill patients in hospitals and other medical facilities all over the world, Chayim Aruchim, Agudath Israel of Americas Center for Culturally Sensitive Health Advocacy and Counseling, took to Albany to speak personally with key elected officials about the importance of defeating proposed legislation that would legalize physician assisted suicide in New York State. READ MORE...
Chayim Aruchim Intervenes as Doctors Deny Treatment to Developmentally Disabled Woman
Danish Teen Wakes From the "Dead" Just as Doctors Prepare to Harvest Her Organs
A teenage girl who had been stuck in a coma after a catastrophic car crash miraculously woke up just as doctors were about to declare her brain dead and harvest her organs.
A teenage girl who had been stuck in a coma after a catastrophic car crash miraculously woke up just as doctors were about to declare her brain dead and harvest her organs. READ MORE...
Members of Chayim Aruchim advocating for changes to the Palliative Care Act in Albany in April.
L to R: Assembly Member Steven Cymbrowitz, Rabbi Shmuel Lefkowitz, Agudath Israel's Vice President for Community Affairs, Rabbi Gedaliah Weinberger, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Rabbi Mordechai Biser, Esq., General Counsel, Dr. Yashar Hirshaut, noted New York oncologist, Assemblyman Richard Gotfried, Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder, and Abe Eisner, an officer of Agudath Israel.
Agudath Israel Hails New NYS Health Care Law to Protect Patients
Bill signed into law, Patients entitled to be offered treatment according to Halacha
Chayim Aruchim is a project established by Agudath Israel of America in response to many calls for help that were received regarding Jewish end of life issues and questions about Jewish end of life values. The leadership of the Agudah recognized the gravity of this issue and the many difficult challenges involved, including complex halachic questions that could only be addressed by a team of devoted professionals, and created Chayim Aruchim to deal with this pressing need.
