30 April, 2026
We are deeply honoured to welcome Dr Dafna Ben-Yosef, an adjunct Faculty Member at the Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University, USA, and Director of Jewish Lifelong Learning at Siegal Lifelong Learning, to lead a session of the Science and Religion in Interfaith Contexts Reading Group, in conversation with Prof Mark Harris, Andreas Idreos Chair in Science and Religion, and Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre in Science and Religion at the University of Oxford.
This is a joint event in collaboration with Siegal Lifelong Learning, Case Western Reserve University, USA.
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Here are more details of this fascinating event.
Topic: Jewish Perspective on Patient-Doctor Relations
Abstract: This lecture explores how religious obligation and modern medical ethics shape the patient-doctor relationship. In Judaism, doctors have an obligation to treat and save lives, at the same time that patients are obligated to seek treatment (Hishtadlus), while also acknowledging God as the ultimate source of healing. In Orthodox communities, medical decisions often involve consultation with rabbis or poskim (legal scholars), adding a halakhic layer to informed consent. Jewish medical ethics may also allow limited disclosure in certain cases, overriding the patient’s autonomy to protect the patient’s well-being, to prevent psychological harm, and to save a life. These nuanced differences highlight the interplay between faith, law, and medicine in Jewish medical decision-making.
Speaker: Dr Dafna Ben-Yosef is the Jewish Lifelong Learning Director at Siegal Lifelong Learning Department, and Adjunct Faculty Member at the Department of Bioethics, Case Western Reserve University, USA.
Speaker’s Biography: Dr Dafna Ben-Yosef earned her Master of Arts degree in Bioethics from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and a PhD in Medical Sciences from the Technion Institute of Technology in Israel. She also earned her bachelor’s degree and Master of Environmental Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She holds a part-time faculty member position at John Carroll University Department of Theology in Ohio, teaching the Healthcare Ethics and Social Justice course, and is appointed as an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Bioethics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Chair: Professor Mark Harris, Andreas Idreos Chair in Science and Religion, and Director of the Ian Ramsey Centre in Science and Religion at the University of Oxford.
Date: 30 April, 2026
Time: 18:00-19:00 BST | 10:00-11:00 PST | 13:00-14:00 EST
Venue: Online
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