Orthodox Jewish Groups Take Stand on Cloning

WASHINGTON--Two leading Orthodox Jewish groups have taken a position on cloning, saying that they support using the process to cure diseases but oppose it for reproductive purposes.

In therapeutic cloning, a cloned embryo is created for research or medical treatments and destroyed before developing into a fetus.

Researchers hope to create embryonic stem cells that could develop into compatible organs and replace a patient’s ailing heart, liver or kidneys.

The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, which represents nearly 1,000 synagogues, and the Rabbinical Council of America concluded that an embryo does not have the status of a person in Jewish tradition.

At the same time, the Torah commands Jews to heal the sick, to be God’s “partner in safeguarding the created,” the organizations said in a prepared statement this week.