Dear Readers, These columns began on my area of America Online, called:  Judaism Today:  Where Do I Fit?   People anonymously sent me E-Mail, and I began to choose one for a public response in my Jewish E-Mail of the Week column. The column has become quite popular and is now syndicated internationally in many Jewish papers and websites.  I hope you find they help you as you think about the Ethics, Spirituality and Peoplehood components of the Jewish way of Life.  I welcome your comments... see the end of the column. Gil PS  Teachers and others, feel free to copy my columns and forward them or use them as you see fit.  Please see the friendly copyright notice at the end.

CAN JEWS DONATE THEIR ORGANS?

Dear Gil:

I am interested in donating my organs when the time comes but I heard that as part of the Jewish religion we were not allowed. I have been looking everywhere for an answer about Jewish beliefs. Do you have any idea?

L

Dear L:

I must start by wishing you a long and healthy life and that "the time does not come" anytime soon ...unless you are talking about donating blood marrow or one of your kidneys! But I am glad you have asked such an important question.

There is a widespread misconception held by many Jews that organ transplantation is prohibited by Jewish law. In a study done in the Toronto Jewish community, the most often cited reason for not signing an organ donation card was that the Jewish religion forbids such an act.

Guess what? They are wrong. There are requirements within Judaism about showing respect to the body after death. Specifically not to mutilate the body, benefit from the body and to bury the body as soon as possible. But this has not stopped Conservative, Orthodox and Reform rabbis from endorsing the concept of organ transplant. For the most part, the rationale is based on the Jewish law of pekuach nefesh...the saving of a life.

The law of pekuach nefesh REQUIRES that almost all Jewish law MUST be violated if necessary to save a life! Obviously transplanting an organ can save a life. The main question is when does death occur according to Jewish law. The Jewish definition of death "is the absence of spontaneous respiration in patients with no other signs of life." A person who is brain dead and kept alive only by machines fits the Jewish definition of dead.

Two sad but inspiring Jewish donors are Joseph Kroot z'l of Kentucky and Alisa Flatow z'l of New Jersey. I use the present tense because although Joseph and Alisa have passed away, they and their families continue to give in the form of teaching other Jews about organ transplants. Both Joseph and Alisa were young when their lives ended and both of their parents consulted with rabbis before making the decision to donate parts of their children's bodies so that others might benefit and live.

The Kroots have used the loss of their son, their decision and the fact that 6 living people benefited from donations from Joseph as an opportunity to teach other Jews about Judaism's positions on organ transplant. On the Internet they have posted pages in memory of their son with a wealth of information. To read more, on the web, go to: http// transweb.org/reference/articles/religion/shalomarticle.html

On one such page, they write: "We know that Joseph did not live a long life, but his life was full. He was kind, generous, a little impish, and Jewish. He could not read well, but his corneas are now reading. He didn't find the cure to cancer, but he did follow the Jewish mitzvah of pekuach nefesh and 'saved lives.' We are reminded of... the Talmudic saying, 'He, who saves a life, saves the world.' What an honor for our Joseph."

Similarly, the parents of Alisa made the decision to donate tissue from her body. In the process they educated the entire State of Israel and many others elsewhere about Jewish teaching about organ transplantation.

Alisa was an American student studying in Israel when she became the victim of a terrorist attack in 1995. Like Joseph, tissue from Alisa was donated to six people on the transplant waiting list. "People have called it a brave decision, a righteous decision, a courageous decision. To us it was simply the right thing to do at the time," said her father. Their decision had a huge emotional and educational impact on a grieving Israel. Personally, I was also deeply moved especially upon hearing the words of tribute spoken by Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin's 6 months after her death when he said "Alisa Flatow's heart beats in Jerusalem."

When a person dies, Jews often say "may their memory be as a blessing." To me, the memories of Joseph Kroot and Alisa Flatow are blessings. I hope learning about them, their parents and Judaism's attitude about transplants, will motivate you and everyone else who reads these words, to talk to your family and then do as I have done: designate yourself as a donor on your driver's license or a donor card. Thanks for writing.

Gil

A FRIENDLY COPYRIGHT NOTICE © Copyright Gil Mann These columns can be found at www.beingjewish.org.  Not only do I give you permissions to copy these Jewish Email columns...I HOPE YOU WILL and that you share them with others!  All I ask is that you never charge anyone for them and that you also include this little copyright notice.  Thank You!

Thanks,
Gil