You have the power to Donate Life. Introduction The inestimable value of human life is a cardinal principle of Jewish Law. This value is expressed through the religious obligation for self-preservation, as well as the duty to save the life of one’s fellow human being, if he or she is in mortal danger. This religious obligation is a mitzvah of such a high order that it takes precedence over virtually all other religious duties with which it may conflict: the sick must eat on Yom Kippur; the injured are treated on the Sabbath; we postpone the circumcision of weakened infants beyond the covenantally mandated eighth day, etc. “You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” — Leviticus 19:16 Be an organ, eye, Since the onset of the modern era of organ transplantation in the and tissue donor. 1950s, leading rabbinic authorities from throughout the religious spectrum have seen in this new technology a new and effective means of fulfilling a divine mandate to save life – an obligation first Joyce Steinlauf, Heart & Lung Recipient expressed in the Torah itself: “You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” Organ donation is a new means to fulfill an ancient, eternal religious duty: a mitzvah of the highest order. The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards has affirmed this principle in unambiguous terms, and celebrates the leadership and insight of other movements and authorities who have shared “There is no greater honor to the task of educating the Jewish community about this mitzvah: “The preservation of human life is obligatory, not optional. Since the deceased than to bring all conflicting halakhic duties are suspended and human lives healing to the living” are at stake... consent must be granted for post-mortem organ – Isaac Klein donation when requested by doctors and hospitals for use in life saving transplantation procedures.... This applies to the individual in anticipation of his or her own death, as well as to health care proxies or next of kin whenever they are legally empowered to make such decisions on behalf of the deceased.... By so doing, he Sign-up now to record your wishes to be or she renders only profound and genuine honor to the deceased.”

an organ, eye and tissue donor at: — Synopsis of Teshuvah on Organ Donation, www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org by Rabbi Joseph H. Prouser or in Nevada at: www.nvdonor.org

“Anyone who is able to save a life, but fails to do so, violates this mitzvah.” — Maimonides LizBeth Acala The Process LizBeth at two and a half years of 1. Collect information about donation and transplantation. age was placed on the transplant 2. Familiarize yourself with the Jewish obligation to preserve life. waiting list, because of liver fail- 3. Talk to your family about your decision. ure. Then in June of 1999 LizBeth’s parents received the call that a 4. Sign-up either online or at the DMV to record your wish to be an donor match had been found. organ, eye, and tissue donor: www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org LizBeth is now a healthy and ac- 5. Your driver’s license will be imprinted with the pink DONOR tive teenager because of the “gift label and you will be on record as a donor. of life” she received. It is not merely permissible for a Jew to LizBeth’s mom prays and gives “ thanks everyday for the gift of bequeath his organs for transplantation donation, “I thank the donor following his death, it is a mitzvah for family for giving my daughter life and allowing us to see her grow and him to do so, in order to save one life, develop into the beautiful young girl she is today.” or several lives.” ­— Rabbi David Golinkin, Law Committee Chairman, of Israel; Dean, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies More Information • The body of an organ and/or tissue donor is always treated with care and respect. • There is no charge to the donor or to his CLJS or her family for donation. The Rabbinical Assembly Committee on Jewish Law and Standards • Organ and tissue donation will not delay has ruled that one is obligated to permit post-mortem transplantation funeral arrangements. of his or her organs in life-saving medical procedures and that • Studies show that organ donation helps to withholding consent for such organ donation is contrary to Jewish shorten the time needed by members of a Law. bereaved family to recover from their loss. In keeping with the Jewish belief that the human body is God’s • The traditional Jewish belief in resurrection in no way precludes organ donation. creation, and is thus to be accorded sanctity even after death, please see that all appropriate steps are taken on my behalf to maintain The Rabbinical Assembly is the international association of honor to the deceased. As soon as needed organs or tissues are Conservative . Since its founding in 1901, the Assembly retrieved in accordance with my instructions, see that the rest of my has been a creative force shaping the ideology, programs, and remains are buried in a Jewish cemetery, in accordance with Jewish practices of the Conservative movement, and is committed to law and custom. building and strengthening the totality of Jewish life. The Assembly publishes learned texts, prayer books, and works of Jewish interest; and it administers the work of the Committee on Jewish Law and The Need Standards for the Conservative movement. A Project of the Rabbinical Assembly and the United • More than 100,000 men, women and children currently await life- Synagogue of approved by the saving transplants. Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical • Many thousands more need donated tissues. Assembly • Every 13 minutes a new name is added to the list. • An average of 18 people die each day from the lack of available organs for transplant. • The need for donors is much greater than the number of people who donate.

The Success www.donateLIFEcalifornia.org • Most organ transplants are very successful, either saving lives or For more information, contact: greatly improving the quality of life for the recipients. California Transplant Donor Network • Many of these recipients have had functioning transplants for over 1000 Broadway, Suite 600 25 years. Oakland, CA 94607-4071 • Success rates continually improve as better methods to control www.ctdn.org rejection are identified Tel: (888) 570-9400 Fax: (510) 444-8501 • Last year, more than 8,000 deceased donors made possible nearly 22,000 life-saving organ transplants. In addition, there were more than 6,000 transplants from living donors.