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New Year's Predictions
IVIV atching on television last Sunday as
the crowds celebrated the new year in
New York City's Times Square, we got
to thinking about how we as Jews fit
into this exuberant society and particularly how we
coped with the year 2000.
Yes, we know, Dec. 31 does not mark the end of
the Jewish year — we already had that moment for
taking personal stock. But we don't feel threatened
by noting that the rest of the world in which we live
is taking a moment to mark the passage of time.
Looking back to a year ago, to the midst of the
millennial hype with all its fears and possibilities, we
realized how far off the mark we would have been
had we ventured any predictions about the 12
months then ahead of us. It would have been a
given, for example, that neither major party would
nominate a Jewish candidate for national office. It
was equally obvious that the progress toward a
Mideast peace was unstoppable. How could we have
dreamt that George W. Bush would become presi-
dent in part because hundreds of Jews in West Palm
Beach accidentally voted for Pat Buchanan instead
of Al Gore?
It is enough to make us journalists pretty suspi-
cious of the conventional wisdom that we pass along
to you so insistently. And it certainly should dis-
courage us from venturing any predictions about
2001.
• But it doesn't, so here are a few:
The crisis in the Mideast, far from alienating
American Jews, will, in fact, intensify our sense of
community and solidarity with Israel, both in the
Zionist dream and as the spiritual center of our
identity. The conventional wisdom is that Jewish
Americans will be so frustrated by lack of
progress toward a lasting peace that all but the
most dedicated will wash their hands of involve-
ment. Our prediction is that, as the issues
become more sharply defined — sovereignty in
the old city of Jerusalem, the "right of return"
for Palestinians who would happily destroy the
state of Israel — Jews on this side of the Atlantic
will feel more deeply engaged with the nation of
Israel. That, in turn, will build more involve-
ment with the religious roots of our identity.
• Israel will begin to pay more attention to
the interests of the Jews of the Diaspora, partic-
ularly to those in the West who have often felt
alienated by the rigidities of the rabbis who con-
trol so much of Israeli life. It is just a hunch, but
we think that the evident need for Western sup-
port may encourage Israel to try to resolve some
of the vexing tensions between secular and reli-
gious life in ways that will seem very appropriate
to American Jews.
• The economic slowdown that seems to be
coming our way will not, in the end, diminish
the community's humanitarian commitment as
reflected both in its political process and its phil-
anthropic activities. We think that you will
respond to growing needs with growing support
because you recognize how remarkable the Jew-
ish experience has been in this country and you
understand the need to stand fast with the beliefs
and actions that have served us so well in the past.
Dry Bones
at.) A
r RESIGNED
ISRAELI PRIME
NANISTER
w6ReTALKIo6
It may not be our new year, but with a lot of
effort and a little luck, it could be a very fine one for
all of us. El
LETTERS
Consider Halachah
With Transplants
Yasher Koach and thank you for your
exceptional articles on organ trans-
plants ("Lifesaving Legacies," Dec. 29,
page 10).
The writers — David Sachs and
Shelli Liebman Dorfman — vividly
portrayed how modern medicine has
created miraculous new opportunities
for achieving the greatest mitzvah of
all, pikuach nefesh, the saving of a life.
I found the touching stories about Dr.
Jeff Devries, Steven Traison and all of
the organ donors to be inspiring.
The heroic, life-sustaining gifts that
they [literally] gave of themselves is
the ultimate expression of our Jewish
value of gemilut chasidim, the perfor-
mance of acts of lovingkindness.
However, your readers, and espe-
cially those that choose to follow
Halachah, must be cautiously advised.
Deciding which transplants and organ
donations are halachically sanctioned
is a very nuanced, complex and case-
specific endeavor.
Just as the organ transplant process
itself uses a very discriminating and
selective medical standard for deciding
eligibility for donor recipients and
actual matches, so, too, the Halachic
process is equally complex.
Issues such as risk to the life of
donors, risk-reward ratios, the likeli-
hood of harvested/banked organs
actually being used to save lives, the
appropriateness of using organ dona-
tions for medical research and experi-
mentation, brain death vs.
heart/breathing cessation as a determi-
nant of death, etc., and myriad other
technical issues render the halachic
decision-making process highly
sophisticated and difficult.
Your articles shed much light on the
subject and helped inform us of the
rudimentary facts of organ transplanta-
tion. However, I would caution and
advise any layperson considering this
option, and seriously wishing to engage
the timeless wisdom and values of our
Torah and tradition, to seek out a
rabbi/Halachist to advise them regarding
their own personal circumstances.
Just as in the medical arena, we do
not hesitate or spare any efforts to
seek out the highest level of expertise
and competence when faced with a
life and death situation, so, too, when
an individual faces the moral and ethi-
cal decisions of organ transplant and
wishes to do so in the context of Jew-
ish law, a rabbi schooled in the intrica-
cies of this sub-specialty of the
Halachah should be consulted.
Rabbi E.B. (Bunny) Freedman
director,
Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network
Southfield
Organ Donors
Offer Life
After reading your uplifting articles on
organ transplants ("Lifesaving Lega-
cies," Dec. 29, page 10), I wanted to
share my own experience.
Last February, I was diagnosed with
leukemia. After weeks of hospitaliza-
tion and chemotherapy, I was told
that my best chance for a cure would
be a bone marrow (stem cell) trans-
plant. My incredible brother Mark
was a perfect match. He didn't hesitate
to do what was necessary to prolong
my life, even though he was dealing
with his own health problems.
The endless support of family and
friends along with a somewhat morbid
sense of humor helped contribute to
my continued recovery. I must also
commend an amazing staff of doctors,
LETTERS on page 29
1/5
2001
27