April 23, 2001
Contacts:
Jennifer Day, (313) 577-1058, jday@med.wayne.edu
Steve Townsend, (313) 577-1429 , stownsen@med.wayne.edu

Wayne State University to host conference examining connection between Jewish society, medicine

Wayne State University’s School of Medicine and the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies will host “An International Conference on Jews and Medicine: Religious Thought, Cultural Patterns and Practical Applications” on Sunday, May 6, and Monday, May 7.

The conference will explore various themes that define Jews’ historic encounter with medicine and healing: Biblical religion and folk remedies, the emergence of medicine as a distinctive profession, the image of the Jewish doctor, the Jewish medical response to catastrophe and Jewish approaches to the distribution of health services.

Sunday night’s program at Temple Shir Shalom in West Bloomfield will feature a keynote address, “The Jewish Doctor as Cultural Mediator,” by David B. Ruderman, Joseph Meyerhoff professor of modern Jewish history and director of the Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Monday’s three conference sessions will be hosted at McGregor Memorial Conference Center on WSU’s Detroit campus.

The Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies was established in 1988 as a cooperative venture between WSU and the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit/United Jewish Foundation. The venture is meant to reflect and embody the fruitful relationship that has long linked the Jewish community to the university.

With more than 1,000 students, the WSU School of Medicine is among the nation’s largest medical schools. Together with the Detroit Medical Center, the school is a leader in patient care and medical research in a number of areas including cancer, genetics, pediatrics and the neurosciences.

Conference registration is $35 and includes breakfast and lunch on May 7. For more information, contact Sandy Loeffler at (313) 577-2679 or aa2690@wayne.edu.