Rabbi Adler’s Transplant Story Leaves Lasting Bonds

In the space between grief and gratitude, a bond formed between mourning the loss of a husband and father, with the other celebrating a second chance at life.

Andy Lipman, who died at 51 in January 2025, was a man who defied the odds; and Rabbi Jonathon Adler, assistant rabbi at Congregation Etz Chaim, now carries part of Andy’s legacy within him.

Lipman was born with cystic fibrosis (CF), a genetic disease that, at the time of his diagnosis, carried a life expectancy of about 25 years. Rather than surrender to that prognosis, Lipman spent his life proving it wrong. He became an outspoken advocate for others with CF, channeling his experiences into five books about the disease, the people it affects, raising money, and the resilience required to face it. He was on TikTok and Facebook encouraging others, even sharing news about a promising new drug.

Ironically, it was not cystic fibrosis that took Lipman’s life. He died unexpectedly from a brain aneurysm. Because CF patients rarely qualify as organ donors, Lipman had never registered. His widow, Andrea, knew of his altruism and character. When the LifeLink team told her that donation was medically possible, she didn’t hesitate. She knew Andy would have wanted this.

A memory crystallized her decision as Andy came home deeply moved by a late friend’s Honor Walk, an emotional ceremony accompanying organ donation, and said, “I will never get to do that.” That stayed with her — and ultimately guided her choice.

The day before Andy’s organ recovery, Andrea was at Piedmont Hospital with Rabbi Joshua Heller, of Congregation B’nai Torah, when he mentioned that a local rabbi was in need of a kidney. Andrea immediately asked about the possibility of a match. The LifeLink team confirmed but a decision was needed at once — the transplant list wouldn’t wait.

Before agreeing, Andrea asked Rabbi Heller, “Tell me about him.” His reply was simple: “I know is that he’s a true mensch.”

That was enough. Andrea and Rabbi Heller made the tear-laden decision. Andy’s kidney was going to go to Rabbi Adler — his other kidney, liver, heart valves, and skin — went on to help multiple recipients.

Andrea waited a year before writing Adler a letter — a period that transplant families are encouraged to allow time for both healing and grief. They have since shared coffee, enjoyed lunch with her daughter, and began a lasting friendship.

When Andrea received Rabbi Adler’s reply, she found exactly what she had hoped for. Knowing Andy’s organs went on to save lives brought comfort. Knowing that his memory had become a source of strength for someone else — that even in his most unexpected ending, Andy was still doing what he had always done — helping others.

Rabbi Adler is fully recovered and thriving. His medical team is encouraged by his lab results, and whereas he once took 17 pills daily for kidney support, he now takes nine. The transformation, he says, goes deeper than the physical.

In a letter to Andrea, Rabbi Adler reflected on how the transplant reshaped his understanding of a phrase he had said countless times: Zichronah Livracha — “may someone’s memory be for a blessing.”

“Before, I often thought about how loved ones’ lives affected me, and what an intangible but wonderful source of blessing these are. But after my surgery, I realized that my donor’s memory is a physical blessing to me,” he said.

Rabbi Adler wrote that learning about Andy’s legacy — his advocacy and love of community — deepened the meaning of this gift. He feels both honored to carry part of Andy and compelled to honor that through how he lives and leads at Congregation Etz Chaim.

Andy Lipman, a University of Georgia graduate, Atlanta Braves fan, and “all around good guy,” was featured in the AJT (October 2024) as his family dedicated the Eva Lipman Pickleball Center at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. There, he praised his mother’s similar warmth and ability to raise money, and recalled the death of his infant sister from CF.

Andrea concluded, “Andy would be amazed to know that he was able to save lives even after his passing and that the recipients are doing so well today.”