It is a time when unparalleled fortitude and elevation of character can present themselves. Rabbi Stern tells of an incident in which a highly respected woman from a prominent Orthodox family died on the first day of Passover. The bereaved family nevertheless understood that the joy of the holiday is sacred. It is an image I will never forget. Such is the height of character that can be reached when Halacha is paramount in a person s values and therefore is a guide for human conduct.
People die, but they don t have to die amidst false hope and unrelenting pain.
There is a way to die with dignity. It is the philosophy of Hospice care that anyone, Jews included, has a right to decline futile care when a cure is not possible. It is standard procedure in Jewish Hospice care that the family s rabbi serves as their advocate and advisor to hospice officials. This is a great relief to Orthodox clientele who follow strict guidelines in their approach to the issues of mortality and medical intervention. It is also a relief for non-Orthodox subscribers to Jewish hospice care.