This course meets Sundays from 5:30-6:30 PM Israel time / 10:30-11:30 AM Eastern, and addresses halachic and philosophical issues of concern to Jews in the modern world. The course addresses some of the challenges and opportunities that students may encounter in their professional and personal lives. Topics include medical and business ethics, and the role of the Jew in general society.

Although primary sources are presented and discussed, this course does not require advance preparation or strong knowledge of Hebrew.

Curriculum

Intellectual Property
I. Patents and Copyrights
II. Torah and Other Critical Knowledge – Profiting from the Unsellable

Career Ethics
I. Choosing a Profession
II. Ethics of Career Moves

Markets, Banking, and Finance
Trading I – Ethical Legitimacy of Trading
Ethics of Trading II - Shareholder Responsibility for Corporate Activities and Assets
Ethics of Banking - Reasonable and Predaroty Lending in Light of Ribit
Ethics of Finance- Capitalizing on the Misfortune of Others
Halachic Status of Representative Currency

Ethics of Sales and Marketing
Manipulative Pricing and Marketing Tactics and the Prohibition of Onaa

Medical Ethics
Abortion
Contraception and Family Planning
Determining the moment of death / organ transplants
Artificial Insemination
*Special* Military Ethics
Cloning and other Synthetic Human Reproduction

Research and Development
Stem Cells
Creating Chimera Organisms
Non-Human GMO’s
Ethics of Geoengineering, Robotics, and Nanotechnology

Journalism
Lashon Hara and the Free Press

Sustainable Development
Tzedaka Priorities in a Globalized World
Environmentalism
Should Sustainability Considerations Impact on our Performance of Mitzvot

Government, Zionism and Israel
Participation in State Affairs and the Secular Legal System (non-Israel)
Messianic Activism- Appeal and Dangers
The Role of the Israeli Government Today - Should Synagogue and State be Separated?
The Form of Israeli Government Today – Is Monarchy an Ideal?

Philosophy
Interfacing With a Multicultural Society
Determinism and Bechira Chofshit