Recently, I met a group of elderly Jews who had a lot to say about health, faith, and ethics.

They were more than 2000 years old and featured at the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at Chicago's Field Museum. Exactly who they were and what they stood for remains controversial. One of three contemporary commentators, Philo, a first-century Jewish philosopher, refers to this group as the Healers. To this day their name, Essesnes—which means healers—sticks. He refers to them as healers not because they were caring for the sick but because they saw a connection between spirituality and healing. The community rule from Qumran's Cave One talks about healing the wounds of the human spirit by turning from greed, pride, cruelty, insolence, lust, and heaviness of heart. In turning towards humility, patience, abundant charity, unending goodness, understanding, intelligence, the Essesnes wrote that through these actions they would receive healing, a great peace, and a long life.

It is to Judaism, in all its diversity, its rich, living tradition connecting health, faith, and ethics that we devote this issue of the Bulletin. Whether or not you are from the Jewish tradition, reading further demonstrates a serious and thoughtful marriage of health and faith. What initially drew the Center's attention to the topic is the changing face of Jewish health care institutions. As Dorothy Gardner's article notes, a sizable number of Jewish-sponsored health care institutions have merged or been sold in the last decade. Additionally, the health care providers that once populated these institutions have dispersed. This situation has raised questions about the unique contribution of Judaism to health and the identity of Jewish providers and institutions. Further reading will demonstrate that some values of the Jewish community remain front and center, such as reverence for life. Other historical events such as the Holocaust will always shape the Jewish community's ethical discussion of protection of humans and avoidance of bigotry. Philip Cohen's article highlights other less obvious, but unique features of Judaism by exploring how reliance on the tradition's texts helps Jewish thinkers clarify moral issues.

There are many stories that we could not tell in this Bulletin, but we will always be renewed if we look to a Jewish ethic that reminds us to place priority on the widow, the orphan, and the stranger.

With the next issue I am delighted to pass the reins of publication here at the Center to our new editor in chief, Faith McLellan, who has extensive experience editing within the medical humanities. I have enjoyed developing the Bulletin and I have great confidence in Faith's leadership.