A terminal illness can generally be defined as an illness for which there is no cure and whose prognosis is fatal. We all know we will die one day, but most of us think of it as a time long ago. However, people diagnosed with a terminal illness must face the reality of their own mortality, are forced to reevaluate their lives, and must make choices about how best to spend the remainder of their days. For the purposes of this article, I focus on the cultural differences between how American society deals with terminal illness and how American Jews deal with it. Coping with a terminal illness is not unique to any particular culture. How an individual reacts and prepares for their own inevitable death, however, is very different depending on their past life experiences, upbringing, and religious background. Some know exactly what to do, while others may be devastated and feel helpless and powerless to do anything. According to a 2005 Pew Research Center survey, Americans overwhelmingly support an individual's right to decide whether to stay alive through medical treatment. . 84% of respondents said they approve of laws that state that life-sustaining medical treatment for a terminally ill patient can be stopped if that is the patient's wish. 70% said there are certain circumstances in which a patient should be allowed to die, while 22% said medical staff should do everything possible to save the patient's life. (Parker, 2009) There has been much debate in our society about whether doctors should disclose the prognosis of terminally ill patients. Often, doctors intentionally overestimate survival times when communicating with patients in order to give the...... middle of paper ...... Wed, M., Lee, M. & Ganzini, L. (1997). Practical issues related to physician-assisted suicide. Annals of Internal Medicine, retrieved from http://www.annals.org/content/126/2/146.fullIsma, M. (August 11, 2006). Grieving and coping with a dying loved one: a serious challenge. Retrieved from http://www.csmsmagazine.org/news.php?pg=20060811I216Reed, P. and Rousseau, E. (2007). Spiritual inquiry and well-being in life-limiting illnesses. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 19(4), 81-98. Retrieved from AcademicSearch Complete database. Dorff, E. (2005). End of life: Jewish perspectives. Lancet, 366(9488), 862-865.doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)67219-4Washofsky, M. (2005, Fall). A Jewish guide to the moral labyrinth of high-tech medicine. Reform Judaism Magazine, retrieved from http://reformjudaismmag.org/PrintItem/index.cfm?id=1048&type=Articles