The ultra-Orthodox Jewish community in New York has expressed fierce opposition after the state Senate on Monday night passed the “Medical Aid in Dying” bill, which would allow physicians to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients. The bill, which cleared the Assembly in April, now awaits the signature of Governor Kathy Hochul. Similar laws exist in California, Colorado, Switzerland, Canada, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Under the proposed law, any individual diagnosed by two physicians with a terminal illness and a life expectancy of six months or less may request a prescription for lethal medication. The request must be signed in the presence of two witnesses who are not family members, beneficiaries or medical staff involved in the patient’s care. While doctors may refer patients for a psychiatric evaluation if there are concerns about mental fitness, such assessments are not mandatory. Critics have raised concerns over the lack of oversight regarding the actual administration of the medication.
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Any individual diagnosed by two physicians with a terminal illness may request a prescription for lethal medication.
(צילום: Simon Wohlfahrt / AFP)
Agudath Israel of America, a leading organization representing Orthodox Jews in the U.S., issued a strong statement following the vote. “Today is a dark day in New York State," the group said. "As an Orthodox Jewish organization, Agudath Israel of America is guided by the timeless principle that life is sacred. Our tradition teaches that every human being is created in the image of G-d, and that every moment of life has infinite value. Society legalizing coordinated killing, even in the difficult situation where the victim is in pain, erodes that value, and tells the vulnerable among us that their lives don’t matter. The Medical Aid in Dying Act sends precisely such a dangerous and destructive message."
Rabbi David Zwiebel, the group’s executive vice president, also criticized the bill's passage. “Since time immemorial, civilized societies have drawn a hard line on the issue of suicide. Taking one’s own life is a tragedy of untold proportion. Allowing physicians – whose calling is to heal – to serve as active accomplices in bringing about this tragedy of taking human life is a profound moral and practical misstep.”
Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Agudah’s director of government relations, said the group had spent the past decade working in coalition with religious groups, disability advocates and ethical organizations to fight the bill. “We have met dozens of legislators on this issue, testified publicly and sent out numerous action alerts. We are deeply disappointed at today’s vote and strongly urge Governor Hochul to veto this bill.”
Catholic leaders also voiced opposition. A spokesperson for the New York Catholic Conference called the bill “a moral Pandora’s box” that diminishes the value of all human life, not just that of the terminally ill.
Not all religious groups opposed the bill. Reform synagogue B’nai Yisrael in Westchester County publicly supported the legislation, calling it a fundamental human right. The progressive Catholic group Catholics Vote Common Good also backed it, along with professional organizations such as the New York State Psychiatric Association, the state bar association, and the Medical Society of the State of New York.
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The bill was spearheaded by Democratic Assemblywoman Amy Paulin, who cared for her sister during the final stages of a painful battle with cancer in 2010. She has led a decade-long campaign for its passage, working closely with terminally ill patients and their families—some of whom died before the bill passed. “This is not about death,” Paulin said. “It’s about compassion, peace and allowing loved ones to be there at the end.”
The bill now awaits action by Hochul, who has until the end of the year to either sign or veto it. Her office has indicated that she will not yield to pressure from the Haredi community and plans to review the legislation thoroughly. If signed, New York would become the 12th U.S. state to legalize physician-assisted dying.