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Introducing Option 18

Introducing Option 18, the organ donor education initiative of Ematai.

In Jewish culture, the number 18 symbolizes life (in Hebrew, ×—×™, chai). 

In medical culture, the numbers 1 and 8 signify the opportunity of posthumous organ donation.   1 person can grant up to eight gifts of life with 8 life-saving organs.

The Option 18 initiative includes:

  • Support for Families:  Providing support for families making real-time decisions regarding posthumous organ donation and helping them cope with their loss.
  • Education:  Creating educational material and programming catered toward the Jewish community.
  • Collaboration: Working with hospitals, healthcare providers, and organ procurement organizations (OPOs) to understand the sensitivities of organ donation within different strands of the broader Jewish community.
  • Choice: Preserving the liberty of Jews to make decisions regarding organ donation according to their conscience and helping them record their preferences and implement those choices.

The option 18 initiative, like all of Ematai’s programming, caters to the entire Jewish community.

Option 18 utilizes and adapts the work of the Halachic Organ Donor Society (HODS). The HODS website includes a treasure trove of videos, articles, and other resources on this topic.

Here are our key educational pages:

Misconceptions about Judaism and Organ Donation

Time of Death & Posthumous Organ Donation

How to Register as an Organ Donor

Living Donation

To receive educational material regarding Judaism and organ donation, support for local programming, or to schedule an in-person or online lecture, please contact office@ematai.org.

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