Temple Beth-El of Great Neck will hold a Pikuach Nefesh Shabbat focusing on Organ Donation and Social Justice on Friday, Jan. 31, at 7 p.m.
All are welcome to hear to an important message from guest speaker Rabbi Joshua Rabin, the community and government affairs liaison from LiveOnNY, and enjoy a delicious Oneg Shabbat following the service.
LiveOnNY is a nonprofit organization that facilitates organ donation and transplantation in the greater New York City area, caring for the families of organ donors and advocating for the cause. Its teams work with local hospitals and transplant centers to deliver the gift of life to the nearly 8,000 New Yorkers awaiting a lifesaving organ transplant.
“Across the United States, more people need lifesaving organs than are available from organ donors,” explained Rabbi Rabin. “To make matters worse, issues surrounding organ donation parallel many of those related to inequality and structural racism.”
His talk will examine organ donation through the lens of social justice and how better understanding can help decrease the waiting list and further social equity.
The experienced nonprofit executive and educator currently serves as the rabbi of the Astoria Center of Israel. Previously, he spent eight years at USCJ, the largest network of Conservative Jews in the world, most recently serving as the senior director of United Synagogue Youth (USY). Prior to leading USY, Rabbi Rabin served as the senior director of Synagogue Leadership.
The triathlete, who is married to a rabbi and the parent to three children, received his rabbinic ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary and completed executive education at Harvard Business School, the Institute for Jewish Spirituality and the Disney Institute.
Temple Beth-El has served the community for more than 95 years and is located at 5 Old Mill Road. Learn more by visiting www.tbegreatneck.org, by calling 516-487-0900 or by emailing info@tbegreatneck.org.