The Ethics of Circumventing the Waiting list


 

Publication Date:

Publisher: Jewish Communal Service Association of North America

Author(s): Norman Linzer

Research Area: Social conditions

Keywords: Ethics; Social Services; Religion

Type: Report

Coverage: United States

Abstract:

By describing an ethical dilemma that is encountered frequently by federation professionals—requests by an infiuential lay leader to circumvent the waiting list for a federation facility — this article demonstrates different ways of thinking about ethics, thereby providing professionals with conceptual tools for analysis. This case illustration serves as a model for the resolution of ethical dilemmas faced by professionals working in any Jewish communal agency; that resolution requires deliberation, a willingness to weigh the many variables and values in conflict, and a tolerance for ambiguity.