On April 25, the Student Medical Ethics Society at Yeshiva University held a panel discussing surrogate motherhood. At the invitation of the group, the director of the Center for Ethics at Yeshiva University, Dr. Adrienne Asch, joined the dean of Center for the Jewish Future, Rabbi Kenneth Brander, to speak on the subject. Dr. Asch provided a secular ethical viewpoint with Rabbi Brander speaking from the position of Jewish law.

Dr. Asch started off the evening by speaking at length about the two basic secular approaches that are taken in regard to a surrogate mother. One way to look at it would be like any other business deal; there would be a contract and the surrogate mother would be expected to adhere to the agreement, and would get paid. A different approach would be that it is impossible for the surrogate mother to separate her feelings and emotions from the baby and that no contract should be made so that the surrogate mother should not be forced to give up the baby.

Once Dr. Asch laid out the ground work in secular thought, Rabbi Brander took the podium to explain the Jewish approach to surrogate motherhood. A basic point that he reiterated throughout his speech was that in no way is there a question of whether surrogacy is a legitimate practice according to the Torah. In fact, he said, “surrogacy is a celebration of being partners with God.” Rabbi Brander went on to say that it is not an obligation to try surrogacy if a couple is having problems conceiving, but there is certainly no problem with it.