24th Annual Torah and Science Conference

 24^th Annual Torah and Science Conference at JCT

The 24^th Annual Conference for Torah and Science was recently held at JCT. The Conference, initiated by JCT, Bar-Ilan University and Yeshiva University, has become a mainstay of all Torah-Science related content in Israel.

The Conference concentrated on the combination of Torah and Scientific knowledge in various fields of science, from earth and technology, to sociology and humanities, and its effects on everyday life. In a series of short lectures, the speakers addressed questions such as: Will meat from stem cells, a new advancement that is expected to hit the market in several years, be kosher? And will it be pareve or meat?

JCT's Head of the Batei Midrash, Rav Yosef Zvi Rimon, discussed the potential halachic issues related to a Smart Home which will have to address homes that identify the people in the room and adjust the temperature and other settings according to the person's habits, or homes operated by speech or sight. He added, "We cannot fear innovation. Sometimes new inventions can facilitate the observance of halacha. For instance, in a Smart Home, the refrigerator can be pre-programmed according to the beginning and end of Shabbatot and Chagim, preventing the light from turning on on Shabbat."

The Lev Prize for Torah and Science was presented during the event to Prof. Ely Merzbach from Bar Ilan University for his research and unique contribution to Torah and Science. Those previously awarded the prize include Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, Dr. Yitzhak Nebenzahl, Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Zaini and Nobel Prize winner Prof. Yisrael Aumann.