Religious leaders join in support for organ donation

Haifa chief rabbi She'ar Yashuv Hacohen demonstrated his commitment by showing reporters his organ donation card.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY
Organ metro 88 224 (photo credit: HOD Society web site)
Organ metro 88 224
(photo credit: HOD Society web site)
The heads of the three montheistic faiths in the Haifa area have all, for the first time, joined in support of blood and organ donations in order to save lives, reports the Hebrew weekly Yediot Haifa. Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious leaders came together in saying that preserving human life is an overriding religious belief for all faiths, and signed a pact stating that organ and blood donations are permitted for the purpose of saving a life. According to the report, Haifa chief rabbi She'ar Yashuv Hacohen demonstrated his commitment by showing reporters his organ donation card, and called on the religious public to change its attitude and support such donations. The pact was signed at a special conference in Haifa by Hacohen, Knesset member Rabbi Michael Melchior, Sheikh Abdullah Nimar Darwish, Archbishop Elias Shakur, and other church officials. Hacohen described the pact as historic and said it encapsulates the Talmudic statement, "He who saves the life of one man, saves the entire world." He said the attitude of the religious public had begun to change since modern medical techniques have proved that most organ donations succeed and do save lives, but he urged the observant to do more and to follow in his footsteps and sign up to become donors.