Course Description:  Sooner or later most of us are confronted by a bioethical dilemma. This class offers the experience of studying six important bioethics cases that arose in 2023/4. While Bioethics concerns itself with addressing ethical issues in healthcare, medicine, research, biotechnology, and the environment, this class emphasizes questions about family members’ obligations, boundaries, religious and moral values, feelings, and relationship dynamics. Supportive family communication skills will be interwoven with the Harvard Case Study Method. Someone having a bioethics issue might sound like this: "My brilliant granddaughter became quite disturbed over the summer. She refuses help. Do her parents have an obligation to inform her college?" or "I'm completely distraught, my wonderful wife has early ALS. She says we’re moving to Oregon to legally end her life as quickly as possible.” Each session will include an up-to-date briefing in terms of medical science, legal, and religious perspectives. We will engage questions such as--Who is responsible, to whom, and for what? What are your feelings, thoughts, morals, and considered responses to each dilemma were the case about you, a family member, or a patient/client /student of yours? Each class session is freestanding, it's ok if you miss some but those who miss the opening session will need to meet with the instructor to catch up.

Location: Wilbanks Blue Wave

Dates/Times: Wednesdays, Feb 19 to Mar 26 from 9:30 am to 10:45 am

Instructor: Goldie Milgram

Rabbi Dr. Goldie Milgram, MSW, has taught Bioethics at Princeton University, Gettysburg and Bard Colleges, many seminaries, and a wide array of programs in hundreds of congregations, colleges, universities, and settings such as 92Y and Esalen. She has eight published books and has been honored for her innovative teaching methods by the Covenant Foundation and the American Cancer Society.