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When a diagnosis, treatment choice, or end-of-life question turns on Jewish law, families often need more than general pastoral support.
Ematai
Helps individuals and families navigate aging, serious illness, and end-of-life care through Jewish wisdom and halacha. Offers a Medical Halacha Helpline, advance-care-planning tools, chaplaincy, and clear guides on pain management, DNR/DNI, artificial nutrition, hospice, and organ donation.
Chayim Aruchim
Provides halachic and medical guidance plus hands-on advocacy for families facing end-of-life decisions, working directly with doctors and hospitals on resuscitation, feeding tubes, ventilators, and hospice. 24-hour hotline: 718-278-2446 (718-ARUCHIM); Sephardic hotline: 347-578-8200.
Before you use these resources
In an emergency, call your local emergency number (911 in the U.S.) or your community Hatzalah.
These organizations are independent and are not operated by or formally affiliated with JMAR or the Jewish Physicians Network. We list them for educational and informational purposes. Coverage areas vary — some serve one city or hospital, others operate nationally or in Israel — so confirm scope and availability directly with each organization.
They may need a rabbinic authority who understands the medical facts, can speak with clinicians, and can help translate prognosis, treatment burden, and patient wishes into a halachic decision-making framework.
These organizations help families facing serious illness, DNR/DNI questions, artificial nutrition, ventilation, hospice, pain management, and related decisions. They can be especially helpful when time is short, when the family is unsure whom to call, or when the medical team and family need a shared language for discussing goals of care.
For clinicians trying to understand why a rabbi may be involved in medical decision-making, see JMAR’s guide: Why Is the Rabbi Involved?
Related JMAR resources
- Why Is the Rabbi Involved?
- Jewish Bereavement, Burial, and Chevra Kadisha Resources
- Organ, Kidney, and Marrow Donation in Jewish Law
Suggest a resource
Know a reliable organization, hotline, or patient-support service that belongs here? This directory is growing, and we welcome recommendations.