Occurring annually two weekends before Thanksgiving, Donor Sabbath is a three-day observance held to include the days of worship for all major religions practiced in the United States. Religious leaders of many faiths, heroic donor families, transplant recipients and donation professionals come together during Donor Sabbath to educate the community about the lifesaving and healing gift of organ, eye and tissue donation.
According to the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS)’s research into various religious groups’ beliefs regarding organ, eye and tissue donation in the United States, the consensus is that all major religions support it. Donation is encouraged as a final act of charity that can leave behind a legacy of hope. When it comes to Judaism, Solomon shares three Jewish principles which govern the treatment of someone after their passing:
- A burial must take place immediately.
- Dignity and respect must be given to an individual.
- There’s to be no benefiting from an individual’s body.
Rabbi Elliott N. Dorff writes that saving a life through organ donation supersedes the rules concerning treatment of someone’s body after they have passed. Organ transplantation does not desecrate a body or show lack of respect, and any delay in burial to facilitate organ donation is respectful of the heroic donor. The Conservative Movement’s Committee on Jewish Laws and Standards has stated that organ donation represents not only an act of kindness, but is also a “commanded obligation” which saves human lives. You can find the details surrounding Judaism and donation here.
We’d now like to introduce you to Elliot Malin. He’s an Advocate for Life with Nevada Donor Network and a living kidney donor. Elliot donated his kidney to his cousin in July of 2021. On February 28th, Elliot found out that his cousin Scott was in end-stage renal failure and needed a kidney transplant. He received an email from his mom which was sent to their entire family begging them to get tested to see if anyone was a match. In that moment, sitting in his in-laws' kitchen with his parents and wife, Elliot and everyone in the room filled out applications to see if they were Scott’s match. On March 25th, Elliot was working in the lobbyist room in the Nevada Legislature when he received a call from the hospital saying that he was a potential match for Scott. When Elliot left the legislature that day, he remembers driving to Whole Foods because it was two days before the start of Passover (he needed a lamb shank for the Seder). On the way there, he called his cousin Scott. When he picked up, Elliot remembers saying, “Scott, you are O+,” and Scott responding with, “I know!” Elliot then went on to tell him: “The hospital called; I might be your match. I will be doing the testing as soon as I possibly can.” After they hung up, Elliot called his mom and told her. He will never forget her saying that he had answered her prayers. Elliot did the first round of preliminary testing the following Monday. The Nevada Legislature would adjourn on June 1st, the day before his birthday. On June 12th, Elliot was in Fort Worth, Texas to go through extensive testing to be a living donor. On June 25, 2021, Elliot received a final phone call from the hospital informing him that he was approved to donate his left kidney to Scott.
On July 17th, he traveled to Fort Worth again and on the 21st he donated his kidney. It was 143 days between finding out that his cousin’s life was at risk and giving him the ultimate gift. Elliot described the decision to donate as “easy.” As a member of Nevada’s vibrant Jewish community, Elliot lives life by two important Jewish values. First, ‘v’ahavta lorecha kamocha,’ meaning to love your neighbor as yourself. Second, we must do everything we can to save a life. Elliot said one of the most basic principles in Judaism is to do what needs to be done to save the life of a human and being a living donor was just that. Elliot also brings a unique perspective to the organ donation world because of his political background. Most recently, he was on the forefront of Senate Bill No. 132, which proposed that no insurance company can discriminate against a living donor by denying them coverage, charging the living donor a different rate, limiting the amount of coverage they provide or refusing to continue to insure a living donor. There was one thing that stood out to Elliot during those 143 days - the doctors, up until he went under for surgery, told him that ultimately, he could still back out of donating because Nevada had no protections in place for living donors. For example, he would be unable to receive life insurance, and his health insurance premiums could be increased. This is what drove Elliot to solve that problem.
During the 2023 Nevada legislative session, Senator Pazina sponsored the ‘Living Donor Protection Act,’ and the entire legislative leadership signed on as co-sponsors. Senate Majority Leader Cannizzaro, Senate Minority Leader Seevers Gansert, Speaker Yeager, Assembly Majority Leader Jauregui and Assembly Minority Leader O’Neill were all involved. During the first hearing in the Senate on February 22, 2023, a motion came from the committee to work-session the bill, which means to vote on sending the bill to the floor from committee. The bill passed the second chamber in early May and was one of the first bills to hit the Governor’s desk and the first policy bill to reach him where he signed it into law. On behalf of living donors throughout Nevada, and those in need of living donors in Nevada, Elliot expressed his extreme gratitude to Governor Joe Lombardo. On January 1, 2024, the law took effect, leaving only ten states without protections for living donors. This was not about accolades for Elliot. Instead, it was his Jewish values guiding him to do what he felt was right. Elliot is an example of what it truly means to love your neighbors as yourself. Elliot does everything he can to help his community while also doing everything to save a life whenever possible. He will always embrace compassion and dignity because his Jewish values demand it.
Inspired to become a hero? Learn more about living donation here.