PreGGI

Merle Pieper

Judaism and Responsibility. A medical-ethical approach in the field of prenatal diagnostics

Jewish religious teaching is based on solid foundations, some of which are thousands of years old, such as the Torah and the Talmud. Despite their age, they continue to be used when answering questions about modern life and medicine.

In recent years, barely no area of medicine has developed as quickly as prenatal diagnostics. The rapid development of new techniques and procedures opens up a multitude of possibilities for decoding the genetic information of an embryo. This inevitably raises questions about how to deal with this new flood of information in accordance with halacha.

The various branches of halacha address a duty to assume responsibility, not only for one’s own health, but also for the health of society.

This dissertation deals with the compatibility of prenatal diagnostic procedures and halacha as part of a literature research. This study is interconnected with an interpretation of on the medical-ethical point of view and the responsibility that women and the parents-to-be take when using prenatal medical diagnostics: for their own health, the health of the embryo/foetus, and for the society in which . Here, the concept of responsibility in the understanding of Jewish teaching is examined, as well as what it means for the expectant parents to bear this responsibility on behalf of their child or the community.