Refuah & Psak

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Brody speaks with Chaya Lasson, Director of Jewish Hospice and Palliative Care for Bridging Life in Baltimore, about clarifying misconceptions around hospice and integrating it with Jewish values. Chaya distinguishes hospice from palliative care, outlines the collaborative hospice team model, and dispels myths about hospice.  They discuss aligning care...

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Brody speaks with Dr. Beth Popp, a palliative-care physician, about the medical, emotional, and halachic complexities of artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH). They review why ANH may be needed, the methods used, and the risks that may be involved. The conversation highlights how decisions differ at various stages of illness, especially near the end...

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Ematai’s associate director and physician assistant Rachel Secunda speaks with Ematai’s director of community outreach, Bassie Taubes, an oncology nurse, health coach, and rebbetzin, about how rabbis and communities can better support those who often feel unseen. They highlight the elderly who quietly withdraw due to physical challenges, caregivers who sacrif...

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Brody speaks with Dr. Moshe Ornstein, a genito-urinary oncologist and author of Cancer in Halakha , about cancer and its treatments. Dr. Ornstein explains what cancer is, clarifies the difference between localized and metastatic disease, and reviews treatment options from surgery and radiation to immunotherapy and targeted therapies. Dr. Ornstein highli...

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Brody speaks with Dr. Ernest Mandel, member of the Ematai medical advisory board and nephrologist about the halachic and medical nuances of cyclical treatments , with a focus on dialysis and vasopressors. They discuss how treatments that naturally start and stop differ from continuous interventions, and why this distinction matters for both halacha and...

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Brody speaks with Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner, senior consultant at Ematai as well as the executive director of the Spiritual Care Department at Cedars – Sinai in Los Angeles, about the halachic and ethical distinction between withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatments. They explore how Jewish law, secular bioethics, and Israeli law approach thes...

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Shlomo Brody speaks with Dr. Jonah (Yonah) Rubin, Ematai medical advisory board member and pulmonary and critical care physician at Mass General Hospital, about the medical and halachic complexities surrounding DNI (“do not intubate”) orders. Dr. Rubin explains the full spectrum of oxygen support, from nasal cannula and high-flow systems to BiPAP and, w...

In this episode of Refuah v’Psak , Rabbi Brody is joined by Ematai medical advisory board member and palliative care physician Dr. Moshe Cohen to demystify the halachic and medical concerns around pain management at the end-of-life. From addiction fears to end-of-life sedation, they explore how pain management at the end-of-life is not only possible but may even be halachically mandated.

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Shlomo Brody speaks with speaks with Dr. Jonah (Yonah) Rubin, Ematai medical advisory board member and pulmonary and critical care physician at Mass General Hospital, about the medical and halachic considerations surrounding DNR (“Do Not Resuscitate”) orders. Dr. Rubin explains what CPR includes and that success should be measured not only by restarting...

In this episode of Refuah & Psak , Rabbi Brody speaks with Rabbi Dr. Aaron Glatt, Ematai rabbinic advisory board member and Chairman of Medicine and Chief of Infectious Diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau, and a medical halacha authority—about how rabbis can most effectively communicate with physicians to guide families through complex medical situations. Rabbi Glatt emphasizes the rabbi’s mu...

Welcome to Refuah & Psak, Ematai’s podcast for rabbis who support their congregants through life’s most sensitive moments. In this special introductory episode, Ematai associate director, Rachel Secunda PA-C, takes listeners on an imagined tour of the ICU with Dr. Jonah (Yonah) Rubin, Ematai medical advisory board member and pulmonary and critical care physician at Mass General Hospital. Toget...