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Organ and
Tissue
Donation
“There is no greater
??? ???? (honor
to the deceased) than to bring healing
to the living.”
– Rabbi Isaac Klein,
?“?
A Project of the Rabbinical Assembly
and the United Synagogue of
Conservative Judaism
Developed by the Committee on
Jewish Law and Standards of the
Rabbinical Assembly
The Rabbinical Assembly is the interna
-
tional association of Conservative rabbis.
Since its founding in 1901, the Assembly
has been a creative force shaping the
ideology, programs, and practices of the
Conservative movement, and is commit-
ted to building and strengthening the
totality of Jewish life. The Assembly pub-
lishes learned texts, prayerbooks, and
works of Jewish interest; and it administers
the work of the Committee on Jewish
Law and Standards for the Conservative
movement.
Rabbinical Assembly
?????? ????
3080 Broadw
ay New York, NY 10027
(ph) 212.280.6000 (fx) 212.749.9166
info@rabbinicalassembly.org
www.rabbinicalassembly.org
Rabbinical Assembly
?????? ????
3080 Broadw
ay New York, NY 10027
(ph) 212.280.6000 (fx) 212.749.9166
info@rabbinicalassembly.org www.rabbinicalassembly.org
“You shall not stand idly by the blood of your
neighbor.”
– Leviticus 19:16
“Anyone who is able to save a life, but fails to do
so, violates this mitzvah.”
– Maimonides
“It is not merely permissible for a Jew to
bequeath his organs for transplantation following
his death, it is a mitzvah for him to do so, in
order to save one life, or several lives.”
– Rabbi David Golinkin,
Law Committee
Chairman, Rabbinical Assembly of Israel;
Dean, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies,
Jerusalem
“The overriding principles of honoring the dead
(
??? ????) and saving lives (??? ?????) work in
tandem. That is, saving a person’s life is so sacred
a value in Judaism that if a person’s organ can
be used to save someone else’s life, it is actually
an honor to the deceased.”
– Rabbi Elliot Dorff,
Rector
, University of Judaism
MORE
INFORMATION
TO HELP
YOU DECIDE
– 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 or
her family for donation.
– Organ and tissue donation will not delay
funeral arrangements.
– Studies show that organ donation helps to
shorten the time needed by members of a
bereaved family to recover from their loss.
– The traditional Jewish belief in resurrection in
no way precludes organ donation.