National Donor Sabbath: An Interfaith Celebration of Organ Donation

November is National Donor Sabbath month, celebrating the interfaith support of organ donation as an act of generosity and compassion that saves the lives of others. There are 110,000 people waiting nationally for a transplant and nearly 10,000 right here in New York, many of whom may be your congregants, family, and friends. New York also has an organ shortage resulting in longer wait times for those on the transplant waiting list. On average, a New Yorker dies every day waiting for the organ transplant that could have saved their life. Religious leaders are encouraged to affect positive change by being outspoken that organ, eye and tissue donation saves lives and extends the blessings that are given to us. By educating our communities we can encourage more people to say yes to donation and give the gift of life to someone who desperately needs it.


WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP


There are many ways your congregation can support and celebrate the lifesaving power of organ donation. Any of the efforts listed below will go a long way in doing something meaningful for those in need of a transplant.

  1. Share a message in support of organ donation during a sermon.
  2. Allow someone from your congregation, or another member of the community, who has been affected by organ, eye and tissue donation (a transplant recipient, someone waiting for a transplant, or the family member of someone who was an organ donor) to share their story during a sermon. If you would like to request a speaker please email SWohl@LiveOnNY.org.
  3. Say a prayer for those waiting for a transplant, transplant recipients, and the family members of organ donors during service.
  4. Feature a message in support of organ donation in your bulletin.
  5. Send a newsletter to your congregation.
  6. Write and submit an article supporting organ and tissue donation to your local newspaper.
  7. Post about organ donation on your social media handles and add LiveOnNY.org as a link on your website as a resource for congregants to access further information.

Religious Perspectives

Because organ donation saves lives, most major religions celebrate donation as an act of final kindness.

  • Buddhist

    Buddhists believe that organ and tissue donation is a matter of individual conscience. Acts of compassion are highly valued. Professor Robert Thurman, chair of religious studies/Jey Tsong Khapa professor of Buddhist studies at Columbia University, and president of Tibet House, stated, “The gift of the body is a very great benefit and a boon, like what you’d call a karmic boon, a karmic advantage to a person.”

  • Catholicism

    Catholics view organ and tissue donation as an act of love and charity. Transplants are morally and ethically acceptable to the Vatican and for decades, the Catholic Church has declared organ, eye and tissue donation as part of the culture of life. His Holiness Pope Francis shared that “Organ donation is a testimony of love for our neighbor.”

  • Christian

    The Christian Church encourages organ and tissue donation, stating that individuals were created for God's glory and for sharing of God's love. A 1985 resolution, adopted by the General Assembly, encourages "… members of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to enroll as organ donors and prayerfully support those who have received an organ transplant."

  • Hindu

    Organ donation is not prohibited by religious law, according to the Hindu Temple Society of North America. Donation is considered an individual’s decision. There are many references that support organ donation in Hindu scriptures. Daan is the original word in Sanskrit for donation meaning selfless giving. It is also third in the list of the ten Niyamas (virtuous acts). Life after death is a strong belief of Hindus and is an ongoing process of rebirth.

  • Islam

    Muslims believe in the principle of saving human lives, and permit organ transplants as a means of achieving that noble end. Sheikh Omar S. Abu-Namous, the former Imam of the Islamic Cultural Center of New York had this to say about organ donation: “…Islamic juristic academies and fatwa (juristic opinion) bodies in the Muslim world, including the Islamic Organization for Medical Sciences based in Kuwait, are agreed on the permissibility and lawfulness of donating organs to patients whose survival or cure vitally depends on them.”

  • Judaism

    Based on Jewish law it is a mitzvah, a religious obligation or duty, to perform a good deed. The highest deed you can perform is to save a life. The Committee of Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly ruled that one is obligated to permit post-mortem transplantation of his or her organs in life-saving medical procedures, and that withholding consent for such organ donation, is contrary to Jewish law. All four branches of Judaism (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist) support and encourage organ and tissue donation.

Resources for Faith Leaders

Religious leaders can help affect positive change by being outspoken that organ, eye and tissue donation saves lives and extends the blessings that are given to us. Below are links to digital tool kits and resources to help educate our communities about organ donation. The tool kits include newsletter and bulletin content, personal stories, perspectives from religious leaders and authorities, facts about donation and other useful materials.

For more information contact Scott Wohl, Senior Manager, Community & Government Affairs at SWohl@LiveOnNY.org or 646-291-4626.