Local Rabbi Seeks Kidney Donation
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Local Rabbi Seeks Kidney Donation

Rabbi Jonathan Adler outlines his chronic kidney disease and appeal for an altruistic donor.

After 37 years with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and now with the AJT, , Jaffe’s focus is lifestyle, art, dining, fashion, and community events with emphasis on Jewish movers and shakers.

Rabbi Jonathon Adler asks the community-at-large to consider getting tested to perform the ultimate mitzvah of donating a kidney to transplant.
Rabbi Jonathon Adler asks the community-at-large to consider getting tested to perform the ultimate mitzvah of donating a kidney to transplant.

Congregants traditionally think about a rabbi as one who helps others cope during health struggles; so, it may seem ironic for a rabbi to ask for medical help.

Congregation Etz Chaim’s Assistant Rabbi Jonathon Adler went into kidney failure (ESRD, or End Stage Renal Disease) in January of 2024, after having spent many years with progressively worsening chronic kidney disease (CKD). He is currently on dialysis and spends around 15 hours a week in treatment which he can do from home. He also does monthly blood work to regulate medication.

There are about 3,000 Georgians on a list to receive a kidney transplant. Adler is on the Piedmont Hospital list as well as a New York-based Jewish organization.

He said, “The disease, as well as its treatment, is exhausting. Shabbat naps have taken on a new meaning since this happened. The best outcome for me will be to receive a kidney transplant: and the best outcome for transplant success is from a living donor. Living kidney donation, also known as ‘altruistic donation,’ is an incredible mitzvah. The Mishnah, in Sanhedrin 4:5, teaches ‘anyone who saves a life is as if they saved an entire world,’ and this is an example.”

There are currently approximately 3,000 people waiting for kidney transplants in Georgia. The average wait time is at least two years. Alder is on the transplant list at Piedmont Hospital, and also New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Sinai is working with Renewal organization, based in New York’s Orthodox community, that helps match altruistic kidney and liver donors with recipients. Both hospitals have robust kidney transplant programs with very high success rates. Most people are born with two working kidneys, but function well with one.

Until he finds a donor, Adler will remain on dialysis which limits travel, energy level, and the time he has to devote to his job and community. His overall health will likely decline while waiting. For most patients, dialysis is only an option for five to 10 years. For Adler, the sooner, the better. He stated, “The sooner I receive a transplant, the healthier I will be, which should result in a better outcome.”

Adler explained the halakhic concern about the potential donor placing themselves at risk. “The hospital’s screening process is so thorough that complications for the donor tend to be low. The hospital works hard to ensure that the donation screening and process is as easy as possible.”

The surgery is laparoscopic (performed through a couple of small holes in the abdomen, assisted by small cameras), and most donors go home one or two nights post-surgery. There is no cost to the donor. All testing, surgery, and hospital bills are covered by the recipient’s insurance. To be eligible, donors must be at least 18 years old and in good health. There is no age maximum to be considered for donation. The tests check antibodies in the blood, as well as general health, to determine suitability for donation and, most importantly, to see if the organ will be “a match.”

Adler concluded, “After I receive a transplant, G-d-willing, my life will change. Although I will not become an Olympic-level athlete, I will have a lot more energy and, since I will no longer be on dialysis, a lot more time. I will have to take anti-rejection medication for the rest of my life, and I’ll have to follow up regularly with my doctors. That said, kidney transplants are life changing. The recipients I have spoken with describe having their lives back. For me, this means a lot more time and energy to be able to devote to my job as the assistant rabbi of Congregation Etz Chaim in Marietta.

Adler urges people to get tested, because if you’re not a match for him, it might be a match for someone else. To get tested to perform this mitzvah, email (rabbiadler@etzchaim.net) or call Leanne Whitehead, social worker at Piedmont Hospital at 404-605-4605.

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