Jews and Genes: The Genetic Future in Contemporary Jewish Thought and

Jews and Genes is a tremendous resource as a collection of essays by leading scholars in Jewish medical ethics. The volume addresses five topics: (1) stem cell research, (2) genetic mapping and identity, (3) genetic testing, (4) genetic intervention, and (5) the new genetics and public policy. For each of the first four topics, the editors Elliot Dorff and Laurie Zoloth open the discussion with a summary of scientific inquiry into the question that functions as an introduction to that subset of the volume's essays. The contributors are well-established researchers and Jewish leaders with expertise in contemporary Jewish thought and practice as well as the medical and scientific issues. The writers draw upon classical sources as part of the analysis but, with the exception of Louis Newman's work that bridges contemporary themes and Talmudic period sources, the essays in this volume maintain a focus on today's concerns from a Jewish...