Toronto rabbis spark backlash with burial ban over assisted dying

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/432656

A decision by Toronto's Orthodox rabbis' council has sparked a heated religious and public debate across Canada over how Jewish communities should respond when a patient chooses physician-assisted death. According to CJN, the council recently adopted a strict policy opposing the practice, including significant restrictions on the religious services available to patients who die through assisted dying.

Under the policy, the council's rabbis will not participate in the funerals of patients who chose euthanasia and will generally refuse permission for such individuals to be buried in cemetery sections affiliated with Orthodox synagogues. The decision comes amid a significant increase in the use of medical assistance in dying in Canada. According to Canadian health data cited in the report, approximately 5,000 Ontario residents chose medical assistance in dying in 2023. Since Canada legalized the procedure roughly a decade ago, more than 75,000 people have chosen it, and assisted deaths now account for more than 5% of all deaths in the country.

The Orthodox rabbis' council described the practice as "euthanasia by doctors" and said its policy was intended to prevent what it considers an impermissible practice from becoming normalized within the Jewish community. Rabbi Yosef Uziel, the council's spokesman, said the decision followed extensive discussions intended to uphold Jewish law while maintaining sensitivity toward those involved.