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Originally published in 1983, this collection was edited by Rabbi Walter Jacob, then the Chair of the CCAR Responsa Committee. This collection deals with such questions as: should a remarried woman observe a deceased husband's yahrzeit? Is euthenasia ever permissible? May a shofar be sounded on Shabbat? Must an adult convert be circumcised? Should funeral services be held for suicides? May a woman wear a tallit? Responsa are rabbinic answers to actual questions of Jewish law and practice that, throughout history, have provided a guiding force in shaping Jewish life.

When is abortion permitted? Should smoking be banned in synagogue buildings? Do we recite Kaddish for a convicted criminal? May human blood be sold for medical purposes? What is the Reform position on the use of mikvah? These questions and more are the topic of this volume, edited by Rabbi Walter Jacob and originally published in 1987. The questions included in this volume reflect the concerns of Reform Jews at the time the book was published, and much of it is still relevant today.
 

Shall CPR be given to the frail elderly? Can genetic engineering be patented? Can there be a berit for Messianic Jews? May a tallit be worn at an interfaith service? May a criminal be a member of the congregation? Must a Jewish lawyer defend terrorists? These are just a few of the questions answered in this volume, which includes 246 Responsa. Originally published in 1992, many of these questions are still relevant for Jewish life today.