Barry Freundel
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Barry Freundel is the rabbi of Kesher Israel congregation in Washington DC, and a leading rabbi in the Modern Orthodox Jewish world.
A writer and lecturer, Rabbi Freundel addresses topics ranging from environmentalism to Jewish 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 to The George Washington University, he has taught at and visited that institution with particular frequency. Similarly, his proximity to Capitol Hill has facilitated his participation in governmental affairs as a consultant and commentator.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] 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 the Bernard Revel Graduate School
- semicha (rabbinic ordination) from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS), part of Yeshiva University.
- Ph.D., Baltimore Hebrew University
[edit] Other activities
- Adjunct Instructor at the University of Maryland, College Park.
- Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University.
- Assistant professor of Rabbinics at Baltimore Hebrew University.
- Adjunct professor at American University.
- Consultant to the Ethics Review Board of the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.
- Consultant to the United States Presidential Commission on Cloning. (May 1997).
- Pre-Rabbinics Advisor and Director of Synagogue Services at Yeshiva University. (August 1986 - June 1989).
- Yeshiva University's Rabbinic Alumni Association Executive Committee.
- Former VP of the Rabbinical Council of America.
- He appeared in the "War" episode of Da Ali G Show.
[edit] Positions
[edit] 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 allow partial-birth abortion, since once the head of the child has emerged, it is considered to have its own soul. [1]
[edit] 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".[2] 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.[3]
- 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 [4]
Freundel strongly maintains that a clone would be considered a human being under Jewish law.[5]
[edit] Homosexuality
Rabbi Freundel published Homosexuality and Judaism in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society. In it he argued that there is no category for "homosexual" in halakha. A homosexual then is no different from any other Jew who has committed a sin. 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 following halakha.
- 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. [6]
[edit] 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:
- Contemporary Orthodox Judaism's Response to Modernity, Ktav Publishing House, February 2003, ISBN 0-88125-778-8
[edit] References
- ^ NRLC 2000 Most Abortions Forbidden by Jewish Law
- ^ Freundel, Barry, Contemporary Orthodox Judaism's Response to Modernity, Ktav publishers, Feb 2003.
- ^ Congressional hearing, February 12,1998. [1]
- ^ Cloning Human Beings, Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission, June 1997.
- ^ The Ethics Of Human Cloning
- ^ Homosexuality and Judaism, Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society, Volume XI - 1986.
