While many New Yorkers know DJ Whutever for being a DJ for both Power 105 and the New York Mets, not many people know that organ donation is an issue close to his heart. This Donate Life Month he is sharing his family’s story in hopes of inspiring New Yorkers to sign up as lifesaving organ donors.
There are approximately 10,000 New Yorkers currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. For a long time, one of those New Yorkers was DJ Whutever’s mother, Pearl. The Bronx native was a young boy when his mother was put on the waiting…
April is National Donate Life Month, a time during which the power of organ, eye and tissue donation is recognized and celebrated. This topic is deeply personal more than 8,700 New Yorkers currently waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant. But they are not the only ones affected by this issue. Additionally, there are thousands of families across the greater metro area whose loved ones gave the gift of life. Each of these donors is a hero and their legacy lives on in the lives they saved through organ donation.
Meet Kingston, a Seven-Year-Old Hero
Kingston was a curious and happy…
By Rabbi Ari Perl
Each Spring, Jews across the globe observe Passover as a celebration of freedom from slavery. But embedded in the biblical narrative of the Exodus from Egypt are radically new ideas that have shaped not only the development of a nascent People of Israel, but also the spiritual and ethical outlook of the monotheistic faith traditions that follow. And one of those ideas has a lot to teach us about how to define a hero, and how to honor them.
Among the most important of these ideas is the democratization of religious experience. In ancient Egypt, religious…
Kidney disease, which often results in a need for transplant, is an issue that disproportionately affects the Black community. In the U.S., 90,000 people are currently waiting for a kidney transplant and more than one third of those waiting are of African descent. Members of the Black community suffer from kidney failure at a rate three times higher than individuals from other races.
Meet Christopher
Christopher is unstoppable. Born with polycystic kidney disease, he knew from a young age that a kidney transplant was likely in his future. By 2015, his kidneys were failing and he was forced to undergo…
By Rabbi Ari Perl
As Thanksgiving gives way to December each year, I am reminded of two profound rabbinic teachings about biblical Adam’s encounter with darkness and light. According to the Talmud (Avodah Zara 8b), the steady increase in darkness that accompanied Adam’s first experience with winter led to deep despair and a pervasive sense of impending doom. When the winter solstice passed and daylight began to steadily increase, hope was restored. The Talmud suggests that Adam’s celebration formed the basis for the many festivals celebrated by different religions at the end of December each year.
A second rabbinic teaching…
In honor of National Donor Sabbath, the Archdiocese of New York sent a letter from Vicar General Reverend Monsignor Joseph P. LaMorte to all Archdiocesan priests in support of organ donation. LiveOnNY extends its deepest thanks to the Archdiocese for helping to raise awareness about this important issue. Please see below for the text of the letter:
“During these months of concern and uncertainty, we all search for signs of hope and healing. One particularly effective way to bring light out of this darkness is through organ and tissue donation. …
The Hindu faith is rooted in compassion and charity and the idea that Hindus should do whatever they can to eradicate the suffering of others.
“We are never prohibited from any form of charity, including the donation of one’s body,” says Hindu Temple Society of North America President Uma V. Mysorekar, MD, FACOG. “Hinduism is a way of life with a strong belief in life after death and the laws of Karma, good and bad actions. The soul, unlike the body, is eternal.”
Followers of Hinduism are expected to live a virtuous life and share the belief that all life…
LiveOnNY would like to thank everyone who participated in Organ Donor Enrollment Day this week. We’d like to take a moment to recognize our partners who went above and beyond to help raise awareness about the power of organ and tissue donation. From hosting media events, to posting social media messages and sending emails to their constituents, these partners truly went the extra mile to help make Organ Donor Enrollment Day a success.
Platinum Champion
Ossining Township
Gold Champion
Pippy and Lily
Mount Sinai Brooklyn
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center
City of New York
SUNY Stony Brook
Hofstra University Physician’s Assistant…
by Alan G.
The following remarks were shared by heart transplant recipient Alan in a Yom Kippur 5780 (2019) address to his fellow worshippers at his synagogue, followed by his current reflections one year later.
To me, the days of Awe are all about life and death, guilt and remorse, confession of sins, and hopefully, forgiveness, renewal, and redemptive action. Al Cheyt is a prayer of confession and asking for forgiveness. I have never thought about these words so deeply and personally as I do now. Here’s why. In April, I went to the hospital for open heart surgery to…
By: Rabbi Ari Perl
Rosh Hashana is a time for reflection, for looking back at the year gone by and ahead to one just beginning. It is also a time to think about life. And there is so much to think about this Rosh Hashana: lives lost and lives spared, lives taken and lives saved, lives of meaning and lives that matter. Amidst these weighty issues, Rosh Hashana 5781 also challenges our Jewish community to think deeply, and maybe even differently, about the gift of life and how it is given.
While most Jewish holidays revolve around a significant event…
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LiveOnNY helps saves lives, provide comfort and strengthen legacies through organ donation. #LiveOnNY www.liveonny.org
