Westchester's Jewish community urges lawmakers to oppose ‘Aid in Dying Act’

WESTCHESTER, N.Y. - Members of the Jewish community in northern Westchester are urging state legislators to reconsider their support for New York’s assisted suicide legislation as the measure moves closer to becoming law.

In a letter dated Feb. 3, Rabbi Joseph Blum of Yeshiva of Kasho in Bedford Hills and Rabbi Hillel Weinberger of Yeshiva Farm in Mount Kisco wrote to State Senator Peter Harckham and Assemblyman Chris Burdick, objecting to legislation A9515/S8835, the so-called “chapter amendments” negotiated between Gov. Kathy Hochul and legislative leaders following the Legislature’s passage of the original Medical Aid in Dying bill in June 2025.

In December, Gov. Hochul announced an agreement with lawmakers that would allow terminally ill New Yorkers with a prognosis of six months or less to access medical aid in dying. The governor said the decision followed months of reflection and discussions with bill sponsors, advocacy organizations and residents who shared personal experiences.

“New York has long been a beacon of freedom, and now it is time we extend that freedom to terminally ill New Yorkers who want the right to die comfortably and on their own terms,” Hochul said at the time. Citing her mother’s death from ALS, the governor said the additional safeguards negotiated with the Legislature would help alleviate suffering by “shorten[ing] not their lives, but their deaths.”

Under the agreement, the amended bill is expected to be passed and signed, with the law taking effect six months later. The amendments add several new guardrails, including a mandatory five-day waiting period between when a prescription is written and filled, a required mental health evaluation, a prohibition on financial beneficiaries serving as witnesses, an in-person physician evaluation, and the ability for religiously affiliated home hospice providers to opt out. Violations of the law would be classified as professional misconduct, and the delayed effective date would allow the Department of Health time to issue regulations and train health care providers.

Hochul will have until midnight on Friday, Feb. 6, to sign the amended legislation.

Community Reacts 

Despite those changes, the Jewish community’s letter strongly opposes the legislation on both religious and practical grounds.

The authors argue that assisted suicide is unequivocally forbidden under Jewish law and that legalizing it constitutes “a direct assault against the Jewish community, and well beyond.” They cite Torah sources, rabbinic interpretations and rulings from leading rabbis, asserting that the prohibition against murder extends to suicide and assisted suicide, and obligates Jews to take action to prevent such practices. 

The letter also raises concerns that even with the added safeguards, the legislation could endanger vulnerable populations, including those who are mentally ill, depressed or cognitively impaired. The authors contend that the bill’s definition of patient capacity remains inadequate and that there are insufficient protections once lethal medication is prescribed. 

Additional objections focus on provisions requiring nonparticipating health care providers to transfer medical records to another provider, which the letter describes as forcing religious and conscientious objectors to facilitate an act they consider morally impermissible. The authors characterize this requirement as an infringement on religious freedom. 

The letter further warns that assisted suicide laws in other jurisdictions have seen safeguards weakened over time through court decisions or subsequent legislation. It also raises concerns about the long-term effects on medical ethics, patient trust and standards of care, and argues that redefining lethal substances as “medication” fundamentally alters the role of physicians. 

Noting that many members of the Jewish community are descendants of Holocaust victims, the authors express particular alarm over what they describe as historical parallels involving so-called “mercy killings.”

The appeal concludes with support from dozens of rabbis from across the country, stating that Jews are religiously obligated to oppose assisted suicide legislation, urge elected officials to vote against it, and consider lawmakers’ positions on the issue when casting their ballots.

Harckham Responds

In response the letter from Rabbi Blum and Rabbi Weinberger, Sen. Harckham issued the following statement on Feb. 5. 

“The Medical Aid in Dying Act takes into account the necessary compassion and dignity for those suffering the final stages of their lives. While I have the deepest respect for the religious beliefs of those who oppose medical aid in dying, I have heard from others who argue just as fervently in favor. As a state senator representing a diverse district, I am committed to respecting the rights of all New Yorkers. That includes the right to exit life on our own terms and in accordance with our own conscience.”