Edited by: TJVNews.com

The Rabbinical Alliance of America—Igud HaRabbonim, representing over 950 Orthodox rabbis across North America—strongly condemns the passage of the Medical Aid in Dying Act by the New York State Assembly on April 29, 2025. This legislation, which would legalize physician-assisted suicide under certain circumstances, represents a dangerous shift in public policy and a profound threat to the sanctity of human life.

As rabbis committed to the eternal values of the Torah and Jewish tradition, we affirm that human life is a sacred gift from Above. No individual, physician, or legislative body has the moral right to intentionally end a human life. The Torah teaches, “You shall surely guard your lives” (Deuteronomy 4:15), and our sages emphasize that even a moment of life has infinite value. The Medical Aid in Dying Act not only undermines this core principle but also opens the door to a host of ethical, moral, and social abuses.

We express deep concern for the most vulnerable members of our society: the elderly, the disabled, the terminally ill, and those suffering from mental anguish or despair. Legalizing physician-assisted suicide risks creating implicit pressure on these individuals to choose death over life—especially if they feel they are a financial or emotional burden on their families or the healthcare system. No legislation, however well-intentioned, can fully protect against such coercion.

Moreover, this law threatens to erode the trust between patient and physician. When doctors are granted the legal authority to prescribe lethal drugs with the explicit purpose of ending life, the foundational ethic of healing is compromised. The role of the physician is to heal, comfort, and preserve life—not to facilitate death. By allowing physicians to cross this moral boundary, the state risks redefining medicine in ways that fundamentally contradict its healing mission.

From a Jewish legal perspective (Halacha), any form of active euthanasia or physician-assisted suicide is categorically prohibited. Life, even when marked by pain or terminal illness, remains a sacred trust from the Creator. As long as the soul remains in the body, it possesses purpose, dignity, and potential for spiritual growth. Jewish tradition urges compassion, care, and palliative support—not abandonment through assisted death.

We are especially alarmed by the misleading language often used to promote such legislation. Terms like “medical aid in dying” and “death with dignity” conceal the harsh reality that this law permits the intentional taking of human life. True dignity lies in affirming life, in offering comfort and presence, and in bearing witness to the inherent worth of every human being, regardless of their physical condition.

The Rabbinical Alliance of America calls upon the New York State Senate to reject this legislation and uphold the moral integrity of our state. We urge elected officials to invest in compassionate care, improved palliative medicine, mental health resources, and hospice services—not in laws that make it easier to end life.

We also call upon religious leaders of all faiths, physicians of conscience, medical ethicists, and advocates for the disabled to speak out boldly against this legislation. The legalization of physician-assisted suicide in New York would set a dangerous precedent for the rest of the nation. It would mark a grim milestone in the devaluation of human life and a rejection of the ethical and spiritual foundations that have guided this state for generations.

In this moment of moral reckoning, we must remember that a society is judged not by how it treats its strongest members, but by how it safeguards its most vulnerable. The Rabbinical Alliance of America will continue to advocate tirelessly for laws and policies that reflect the sanctity of life, the dignity of every person, and the duty to choose life in all circumstances.

As the Prophet Isaiah declares, “Even to your old age, I will still be the same; even to your gray hairs, I will carry you” (Isaiah 46:4). Let us not abandon those who are suffering, but rather stand beside them with love, compassion, and unwavering respect for life.