Teaneck—It’s Adar, and a time to look for hidden miracles, but it is not every day that we see miracles up close, in person. What could be more miraculous than the manifestation of pikuach nefesh, saving a life? When community members heard this week that Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, mara d’asra of the Congregation Beth Aaron community and a beloved 8th grade rebbe at Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey, stepped up to donate a kidney to Donny Hain, they were awed, but those who know him are not surprised. Many cried tears of joy at the gift that this donation will bring, and the blessing that Rabbi Rothwachs and his family are to our community, as they have been for decades.
It’s not only that Donny Hain and his family will, God willing, get their lives back and see Donny live for many healthy and happy years until 120. We also cry tears of joy and thanksgiving because Rabbi Rothwachs’ example will save so many more lives.
“Our hope is that Rabbi Rothwachs’ donation will inspire the Teaneck community and the community at large to participate in this wonderful mitzvah opportunity,” said Rabbi Josh Sturm, director of outreach at Renewal, a Jewish organization dedicated to matching donors with recipients.
“A kidney transplant literally is a renewal of the recipient’s life,” said Sturm, who explained that 72% of people on dialysis don’t survive more than five years. Donny had been on dialysis already for three years.
“Thanks to the combined efforts of Renewal and the Jewish Link of New Jersey, there were many phone calls in response to Donny Hain’s need. A number of people inquired about stepping forward to get tested,” said Sturm.
Rabbi Sturm shared that the Hain/Rothwachs transplant was Renewal’s 255th transplant since the organization’s founding in 2006, but there are still currently 270 patients on their waiting list who are in desperate need of a kidney. “Renewal encourages all those who expressed interested to inquire if they would be a match for anyone else on our list,” he added.
Rabbi Sturm said that Renewal will be sharing many opportunities to hear more about kidney donation in the future, and will be presenting shiurim and Q&A session at Congregations Bnai Yeshurun and Rinat Yisrael after Pesach. “This is part of a larger campaign to raise awareness about the importance of kidney donation,” said Sturm.
“The unfortunate reality is that many patients die while waiting for a kidney. And for many, the whole time they are on the transplant list, their condition is deteriorating. A person cannot live without a kidney, and generally, most cannot survive long-term on dialysis. Renewal’s goal is to get people transplanted as quickly as possible.” said Sturm.
“For Donny, the quality of life difference is amazing. Aside from the time commitment of dialysis, it has many different negative side effects, from blood pressure problems to really only doing 10-15% percent of what a healthy kidney does. ”
Learn more about Renewal at http://www.renewal.org/ or by calling 718-431-9831, or by emailing [email protected].
The Hain and Rothwachs family request that the community keep both men in our tefillos for a refuah sheleyma. Their Hebrew names are Doniel Naftali ben Riva Baila (Donny) and Eliezer Lipa ben Ita Riva (Rabbi Rothwachs).
By Elizabeth Kratz
