Organ Donation
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Confusion Over Law
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Funeral director Techner knows first-
hand the heartache of losing a child.
"People say, 'But this is my son,'
`This is my daughter,'" Techner said.
"I tell them Ilene and I also had a
child that died and if I were ever
placed in that position I would hope
that I would say, 'Please take any-
thing that she could contribute to
the world right now.' I couldn't
imagine saying no."
The major misconception among
Jews is that removal of organs for
transplant would violate the Jewish
prohibition against mutilation of the
deceased. But the profound mitzvah
of saving a life, pekuach rafesh,
supersedes this restriction in all
streams of Judaism.
"Just as I am not allowed to trans
gress Shabbos by doing work, if I
could save a life thereby,
I do work," said Rabbi
Get People Talking
E.B. "Bunny" Freedman
Hadassah's Mintz, based
of the Jewish Hospice
in New York, is also trying
and Chaplaincy Network
to educate Jew's on organ
in Southfield, "or eat on
donation at death. She
Yom Kippur to save a
offers Hadassah chapters
life. For removing some-
across the country an edu-
thing from a body to
cational program on organ
save a life, I can do the
donation to shatter both
same thing."
the myths and the ice.
But for those consider-
Rabbi E. B. "Bunny"
"Organ donation is
ing pledging one's
where cancer was 20 years
organs, consultation with Freedman
ago," she said. "Our pro-
their rabbi and family is
gram is to get people talking about
advisable to avoid confusion at the
it.
time of death.
"We're not telling them, 'You
Another major myth impeding
should
be organ donors.' We are
Jewish organ donation is the belief
telling
them
that they should think
that Jews need to be buried with all
about it and they should discuss their
body parts intact, to facilitate a
wishes with their families, because
future resurrection. Rabbi Dorff
their families will make their decision
writes that this belief "is deeply
for them in that time of tragedy
ingrained in the folk religion;
"The best way is the up-front way
indeed, it is often expressed by Jews
My
daughter, 28, did this with me.
who are otherwise totally secular in
`Mom
and Dad,' she said, 'there's no
their thought and actions."
reason
I need to take anything with
Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg of
me.
And
besides, it will do some-
Young Israel of Southfield relates the
body else some good.'
Talmud dictum: all that is needed
"Not everybody can do it," Mintz
for resurrection is a tiny bone from
added. "But if they can and they do,
the bottom of the vertebrae, the
what a mitzvah they are doing.
"Luz." Prominent author and kab-
At her Hadassah programs, often a
balist Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan writes
transplant
survivor or a member of a
that in the physical sense, God can
donor's
family
speaks as well as a
recreate the body from a tiniest
physician.
speck of DNA.
"People sign [donor] cards," Mintz
David Techner remembers a
said. "They ask questions. You know
phone call from a man whose son
how everybody knows somebody
was killed in an automobile acci-
with breast cancer. Now everybody
dent. He wanted to know why they
seems to know somebody who has
were not asked to donate his son's
had a heart transplant or a kidney
organs. "There's a classic example of
transplant or they know a mother
a misunderstanding from the hospi-
who donated a kidney to a child.
tal that donation wasn't even to be
"It's just taken off And it's a good
discussed because they were Jewish,"
thing." 11
Techner said.
"
Franklin Bank
THE NEW THINKING IN BANKING FOR BUSINESS
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Southfield • Birmingham • Grosse Pointe Woods
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.Annu,11
i7NDER
12/29
2000
12
Percentage Yield effective as of 10/05/00. Subject to change.
Minimum balance to obtain the stated APY SI,000. Fees could reduce
earnings. Penalty for early withdrawal. Member FDIC.