Modern Responsa: An Anthology of Jewish Ethical and Ritual Decisions (JPS Anthologies of Jewish Thought)

An original anthology of modern responsa (Jewish ethical and ritual decision-making) by rabbinic authorities, men and women, across movements (Conservative, Orthodox, Reform), geographic locales, and ethnicities (Ashkenazic, Sefardic, Mizra?i), Modern Responsa engages readers in understanding how rabbis expert in Jewish law apply principles, precedents, and rules from Judaism’s legal tradition to real-life issues. Responsa on ten topics-personal and business ethics, ritual, personal status, women, LGBTQIA+ people, medical ethics, the COVID-19 pandemic, relationships with the other, the modern State of Israel, and Jewish life in the United States-showcase how the rabbinic decisors who wrote them handle modern quandaries for their communities.Pamela Barmash’s translations open up most of these original Hebrew texts to English-speaking readers for the first time.Sometimes the decisors disagree-but other times they rule similarly, despite differing ideological commitments.Clear explanation