- Barry Freundel
Barry Freundel is the
rabbi ofKesher Israel congregation inWashington DC , and a leading rabbi in the Modern OrthodoxJew ish world.A writer and lecturer, Rabbi Freundel addresses topics ranging from
environmentalism toJewish medical ethics . Popular among collegiates, he has served as a visiting scholar at Princeton,Yale and Cornell and guest lecturer at Columbia,University of Chicago and other universities. He is also an adjunct professor at several universities. Due to his congregation's proximity toThe George Washington University , he has taught at and visited that institution with particular frequency. Similarly, his proximity toCapitol Hill has facilitated his participation in governmental affairs as a consultant and commentator.Biography
Education
* B.S., Yeshiva College; double major in Chemistry and Physics
* B.S., Erna Michael College of Hebraic Studies;
* M.S. in Talmudic Studies from theBernard Revel Graduate School
*semicha (rabbinic ordination) fromRabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), part ofYeshiva University .
* Ph.D., Baltimore Hebrew UniversityOther activities
* Adjunct Instructor at the
University of Maryland, College Park .
* Adjunct Professor of Law atGeorgetown University .
* Assistant professor of Rabbinics atBaltimore Hebrew University .
* Adjunct professor atAmerican University .
* Consultant to the Ethics Review Board of theNational Institute on Aging of theNational Institutes of Health .
* Consultant to the [http://www.bioethics.gov/topics/cloning_index.html United States Presidential Commission on Cloning] . (May 1997).
* Pre-Rabbinics Advisor and Director of Synagogue Services atYeshiva University . (August 1986 - June 1989).
* Yeshiva University's Rabbinic Alumni Association Executive Committee.
* Former VP of theRabbinical Council of America .
* He appeared in the "War" episode of "Da Ali G Show ".Positions
Abortion
Freundel believes that according to the
Halakha ,abortion is only permitted when a woman is in "hard travail" and her life is in danger. This is a very limiting position, Freundel pointed out, since there must be serious danger to the mother. This does, however, also include cases where there is significant psychological trauma, wherein continuing the pregnancy could inflict significant or mortal harm to the mother in that fashion (such as a rape victim who become suicidal). Freundel believes that there is no way, under Jewish law, to allowpartial-birth abortion , since once the head of the child has emerged, it is considered to have its own soul. [ [http://www.nrlc.org/news/2000/NRL07/jewish.html NRLC 2000 Most Abortions Forbidden by Jewish Law ] ]Cloning
Freundel sees two issues with cloning from a halakhic perspective. The first is whether cloning is allowed, and the second is whether a clone would be considered a human being.
He does not view cloning as being prohibited by
halakha , and even sees it as a noble goal to "becoming a partner with God in the works of creation". [Freundel, Barry, "Contemporary Orthodox Judaism's Response to Modernity", Ktav publishers, Feb 2003.] He does however support regulation, and at a congressional hearing urged congress not to prohibit human cloning, but to regulate it. He argued that human knowledge and technology are inherent neutral, it's what's done with them that is important. [Congressional hearing, February 12,1998. [http://www.clonerights.com/middle_east.htm] ]:"Human beings do the best that they can. If our best cost/benefit analysis says go ahead, we go ahead. ‘G-d protects the simple’ is a Talmudic principle that allows us to assume that when we do our best G-d will take care of what we could not foresee or anticipate. If things do not work out, the theological question is G-d's to answer; not ours" [ [http://bioethicsprint.bioethics.gov/reports/past_commissions/nbac_cloning.pdf Cloning Human Beings] , Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, June 1997.]
Freundel strongly maintains that a clone would be considered a human being under Jewish law. [ [http://facweb.stvincent.edu/academics/religiousstu/writings/logston1.html The Ethics Of Human Cloning ] ]
Homosexuality
Rabbi Freundel published [http://www.jonahweb.org/sections.php?secId=88 "Homosexuality and Judaism"] in the "
Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society ". In it he argued that there is no category for "homosexual " inhalakha . A homosexual then is no different from any otherJew who has committed asin . Since Freundel views homosexuality as an activity rather than a state of being, he advocates the "kiruv " approach - trying to make a less observant Jew more observant by followinghalakha .:"Judaism rejects the suggestions that homosexuality is either a form of mental illness or an "acceptable alternate lifestyle." Judaism's positions would be a third and as yet unconsidered option. Homosexuality is an activity entered into volitionally by individuals, who may be psychologically healthy, which is maladaptive and inappropriate." [ [http://www.jonahweb.org/sections.php?secId=88 Homosexuality and Judaism] , Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Volume XI - 1986.]
Publications
Rabbi Freundel has published literally hundreds of works on a variety of subjects too numerous to list here, however he is currently the author of one book:
* [http://www.ktav.com/product_info.php?products_id=1363 Contemporary Orthodox Judaism's Response to Modernity] ,Ktav Publishing House , February 2003, ISBN 0-88125-778-8References
External links
* [http://www.kesher.org Kesher Israel Congregation]
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