An Interview with Robby Berman, Founder and Director of the Halachic Organ Donor Society

March 3, 2009

Robby Berman, founder and director of the Halachic Organ Donor Society, recently took some time to answer a few questions about the work of his organization for the New Vilna Review.  According their website (hods.org) the mission of the Halachic Organ Donor Society is to “… save lives by encouraging organ donation from Jews to the general population (including non-Jews).”

NVR: For those who may not be familiar with the Halachic Organ Donor Society, can you give us a brief overview of the history of the organization?

The HOD Society was founded in 2002 to save lives by increasing organ donations from Jews to the general public including gentiles. The number one reason that inhibits Jews from donating organs is the mistaken belief that Jewish law (halacha) prohibits it. The HOD Society comes to rectify that misperception.

NVR: What are the main goals of HODS?

The mission is to save lives. Our goals to achieve that mission is education, distributing organ donor cards and matching living kidney donors with recipients.

NVR: Can you tell us a little about how the organization has evolved since it was founded?

In the beginning (sound familiar?), we had no rabbis who held organ donor cards and very little awareness. Now we have over 200 rabbis with beards and black hats that carry our organ donor card and we have been directly responsible for facilitating more than 100 life-saving transplants.

NVR: Why do you feel it's important to educate Jews about organ donation and the related halacha?

Religion is the main factor that inhibits Jews from donating organs. Most Israelis are secular and not religious. So why does Israel have such a low percentage of signed organ donors (8%) as opposed to most other countries (40%)? Because when it comes to death, Jews tend to become more "religious" and they have this misperception about Judaism.

NVR: Can you give us a brief outline of some of the outreach and educational work HODS is doing in the United States and Israel?

We give many lectures in Europe, Israel and the US, we take out full page adverts, we have a very informative website with videos and articles, we distribute organ donor cards, etc.

NVR: If someone would like to get involved with your organization or have a speaker from HODS visit their school or community, how can they do that?

They can contact us at admin@hods.org

NVR:  Is there anything else you would like to add?

Our url, www.hods.org, and we have been hit hard by the markets and after 7 years of doing good deeds we are in serious need of financial support. Donations can be made at www.hods.org, cards can be gotten at www.hods.org