This past winter, an Israeli woman was granted a new lease on life when she received a new kidney. She is grateful to the donor.
And to Jewish Action.
In the winter 2010 issue, Jewish Action ran a story about a doctor who donated a kidney to his ailing sister (“Kidney Doctor as Kidney Donor,” by Dr. Meyer D. Lifschitz). One of our loyal readers and colleagues—Rabbi Ari Sytner, the rabbi of the only OU shul in South Carolina—read the article and was inspired to do something. He contacted Chaya Lipschutz, mentioned in the article, who is the force behind kidneymitzvah.com, which links kidney donors with those in need of a kidney. This past Chanukah, after a year of research and testing, Rabbi Sytner selflessly donated his kidney to Ronit Havivi, a single mother of three. Within a few weeks, he was back to work in the historic Charleston shul with a wonderful story to teach about chessed. Both he and the recipient feel as good as ever. The OU commends Rabbi Sytner and his family for this incredible mitzvah, which he said would not have been possible without the help of Jewish Action.
Rabbi Ari Sytner, of Charleston, South Carolina, recently donated his kidney to Ronit Havivi, a single mother of three from Israel.
Some 86,000 people nationwide are waiting for a healthy kidney. The OU remains dedicated to helping those in need of kidney transplantation. For more information, please contact Chaya Lipschutz by visiting kidneymitzvah.com.
To hear an interview of Rabbi Sytner, please visit Savitsky Talks at http://www.ou.org/life/inspiration/the-jewish-action-sparks-a-remarkable-act-of-chesed-rabbi-donates-kidney-to-mother-of-three-stephen-savitskyaudio/. Savitsky Talks is a weekly twenty-minute audio program exploring topics in Jewish Action and other topics in contemporary Jewish life.