named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
Bedside Prayers for the Terminally Ill
Provides specially designed prayers for use at the bedside of those who are critically or terminally ill
Ematai Tefilot Project
Provides curated prayers and Psalms for healing, recovery, and end-of-life situations, with downloadable PDFs and commentaries
Tehilim & Inspiration
Offers chapter-by-chapter explanations of Psalms relevant to illness, accompanied by inspirational videos from Jewish educators
Vidui and Personal Prayers
Offers traditional confession (Vidui) and personal prayer texts for individuals facing serious illness
activities · 4 groups
What they do
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Advance Care Planning Support 5 activities
- Halachic Estate Planning ToolsDevelops and promotes the Halachic Estate Shtar and other legal instruments to guide estate planning in accordance with Jewish law, complementing healthcare directives with holistic end-of-life planning resources.
- Halachic Healthcare Directives and Advance Care PlanningDevelops and distributes legally recognized healthcare directives and conversation guides grounded in Jewish law and values, including the Robert M. Beren Healthcare Directive and abridged versions compliant with Israeli law. These tools support individuals in designating healthcare proxies and directing medical decisions in accordance with halacha, including provisions for organ donation.
- Halachic Organ Donation RegistrationFacilitates organ donor registration in compliance with halachic guidelines, integrating Jewish legal perspectives into end-of-life planning and promoting life-saving donation within the Orthodox community.
- International Advance Care Planning SupportCreates jurisdiction-specific resources, such as a guide to completing the UK Health and Welfare Lasting Power of Attorney in alignment with Jewish values, to support diaspora communities in fulfilling halachic obligations abroad.
- Secure Registry and Emergency Access SystemMaintains a secure online registry for storing healthcare directives in partnership with USACPR, offering 24/7 emergency access to documents and distributing emergency contact cards to ensure directives are accessible during medical crises.
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Halachic Guidance and Education Services 1 activity
- 24/7 Real-Time Rabbinic Consultation ServiceOperates a helpline accessible by phone or WhatsApp that provides immediate halachic guidance on critical medical issues including life-preserving treatments, DNR/DNI orders, brain death determination, organ donation, care for a goses, and communication with medical providers. Also offers non-urgent consultations for advance care planning and treatment decisions.
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Medical Professional Education & Training 1 activity
- Continuing Medical Education (CME) Programs on Halacha and MedicineHosts accredited CME events for medical professionals on topics at the intersection of Jewish law and clinical medicine, including dementia care, Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD), and ECMO/mechanical circulatory support, to promote culturally competent care.
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Jewish Textual and Educational Publishing 1 activity
- Educational Publications and Holiday ResourcesProduces educational materials such as the Yom Kippur Reader to support reflection and learning around end-of-life themes within the context of Jewish holidays and traditions.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$1.07M
Contributions & grants$1.07M100%
Program service revenue$00%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue$0
expenses
Total expenses$528K
Program expenses69%
Admin / overhead24%
Fundraising7%
Salaries & benefits$310K
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$1.12M
Cash$1.05M
Investments$0
Liabilities$34K
Net assets$1.08M
Liquid reserves24.0 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue +99.2%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 1
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Myles Brody | Executive Dir. | 40 | $172K |
board members · 6
- Harold Perl — Trustee
- Jeffrey Goldberger — Trustee
- Kim Jensen Pimley — Trustee
- Mark Wertenteil — Treasurer
- Michelle Brody — Trustee
- Rabbi Henry Hasson — President
relationships · 16
Who they work with
- Baylor College of Medicine Partner — Engages Dr. Howard Weiner, Professor and Vice Chair of Neurosurgery at Baylor College of Medicine
- Cedars Sinai Medical Center Partner — Collaborates with medical professionals from Cedars Sinai, including Dr. Elizabeth Rubin and Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Partner — Collaborated on the development of the Jewish advance healthcare directive; Ematai's directive draws from Cedars-Sinai's model.
- Dr. Ellen Warner Partner — Collaborated with Ematai as a speaker in the CME program on Medical Aid in Dying.
- Ematai Partner — Collaborates with Ematai in providing education and guidance on end-of-life care and pain management from a halachic perspective.
- Massachusetts General Hospital Partner — Collaborates with Dr. Jonah Rubin, an attending physician at MGH, on bioethics and end-of-life care issues
- Ministry of Health (Israel) Government — Receives and processes the Dying Patient Act Power of Attorney – Abridged Version through its Center for Advance Healthcare Directives.
- Ministry of Justice (Israel) Government — Partnered for submission and activation of the Continuous Medical Power of Attorney (Form D).
- Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner Partner — Senior consultant for Ematai and co-leader of the helpline.
- Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody Partner — Collaborated with Ematai as a speaker in the CME program on Medical Aid in Dying.
- Rabbi Dr. Shlomo Brody Partner — Executive director and head of the Robert M. Beren Medical Halacha Helpline.
- Robert M. Beren Partner — Names the Robert M. Beren medical halacha helpline as a resource for real-time consultation on organ donation and end-of-life care.
- Robert M. Beren Partner — Namesake of the Healthcare Directive & Conversation Guide
- Shaare Zedek Medical Center Partner — Works with Rabbi Prof. Avraham Steinberg, director of the Medical Ethics Unit at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem
- USACPR Partner — Partnership to provide secure online storage and emergency access to healthcare directives.
- University of Michigan Partner — Engages Dr. Ora Singer, a professor of medicine at the University of Michigan, in its educational initiatives
strategies · 5
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Family-Centered Communication to Honor Patient Wishesmethodology: family-centered advance care communicationBy promoting ongoing family conversations about end-of-life care, we reduce conflict and decisional burden, because shared understanding within families ensures patient values are respected even when decisions must be made by others.
- Halacha-Integrated Advance Care Planningmethodology: halacha-integrated end-of-life careBy integrating Jewish law and values into advance care planning, we produce more aligned and less burdensome end-of-life decisions, because religiously grounded frameworks increase personal relevance and community acceptance.
- Palliative Care as a Compassionate Religious Alternativemethodology: palliative-care alternativeBy strengthening palliative care and pain management, we reduce requests for Medical Aid in Dying, because compassionate symptom relief grounded in halachic ethics fulfills the religious duty to alleviate suffering.
- Proxy-Based Organ Donation Authorizationmethodology: proxy-based decision-makingBy using a legally and halachically recognized proxy model, we increase organ donation participation, because it reconciles Jewish legal concerns about personal autonomy and posthumous obligations with modern medical needs.
- Real-Time Rabbinic Guidance for Clinical Decisionsmethodology: real-time helpline supportBy providing 24/7 access to rabbinic expertise, we enable timely halachically sound medical decisions, because immediate religious consultation reduces uncertainty and supports adherence to Jewish law in urgent situations.