Guest Editorial

Excerpt

Scholarly discourse on the intersection of Judaism and health has a long history, dating to the beginnings of the rabbinic era. This includes Talmudic and midrashic writing and halakhic responsa on biomedical and health-related themes; rabbinic and secular academic writing on bioethics; decades of rabbinic and denominational health policy advocacy and community organizing efforts; the establishment of professional fields of Jewish healthcare chaplaincy and pastoral care; contemporary writing on Jewish spirituality and wellness, including works outlining Jewish perspectives on self-actualization, psychology, meditation, healing, and mysticism; and emergence of a contemporary Jewish healing movement advocating congregational and communal programming focused on issues related to health, aging, and well-being. …