Jerusalem, Israel - Orthodox In Uproar Over Organ Donation Incident

Jerusalem, Israel - The Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem is known for its strict adherence to Jewish law, since its establishment 100 years ago. But this week, a storm erupted among the Orthodox Jews, after the hospital allowed an operation to remove organs for donation on a brain dead patient at the hospital.

The surgery was carried out on a man being treated in the hospital who was declared brain dead . The Charedi sector was infuriated by the deed because it is forbidden by halacha rule and violated agreements with Orthodox rabbis against carrying out such operations in the observant hospital.

The hospital’s rabbinical committee forbids the removal of organs from patients that are still alive, and in the past ruled that if the family requests the organs be donated, the surgery must take place in a different hospital. Hospital officials responded that doctors went through with the operation at the hospital in compliance with a special request by the patient’s family, and the organs saved the lives of two other patients. The Shaare Zedek Medical Center has operated in accordance with Jewish law for decades, and until recently was subordinate to the authority of Rabbi Moshe Halberstam, who died about a month and a half ago. Rabbi Halberstam served as chairman of the Hatzolah Israel organization and as the halachic authority for the hospital. All questions regarding Jewish law that arose there were posed to him, and he decided the hospital’s conduct.

The storm broke out when the incident leaked to the Orthodox community, who specifically choose to be treated there above other hospitals because of its reputation of being observant. And that family members said they only agreed to donate the organs only after they were pressured by doctors. The Orthodox court plans to hold an emergency meeting on the matter, and have already decided to appoint a rabbi to supervise the question of organ donations at the hospital in the future. Sources from the Charedi public said, “Since Rabbi Halberstam passed away, the hospital lets itself do what it wants and ignores the halacha regulations practiced there for years.”