A World Record in Kindness: Celebrating 2,000 Kidney Donations in Israel

Yesterday evening, hundreds of kidney donors from across Israel, including dozens from Beit Shemesh, gathered in Jerusalem for a deeply moving event: Celebrating 2,000 successful kidney transplants!

More than 1,000 kidney donors gathered in one photo - and this fantastic achievement received official international recognition as a Guiness World Record!

The event was hosted by the Matnat Chaim organization - which means Gift of Life, led by Rebbetzin Rachel Haber, who continues the incredible legacy of her husband, the organization’s founder, Rabbi Yeshayahu Haber zt”l.

Israel's President, Isaac Herzog who attended the event said "This is absolutely a world record.  A world record for humanity!  A world record for solidarity.”  He praised the contributions by the donors, and noted that they had taken a personal risk, to provide the certainty of life to others. He emphasized the profound moral significance of this act, especially in a world currently facing moral confusion. Herzog said that this official world record is proof that acts of kindness can overcome prejudice and demonstrate the ultimate sanctity of life.

Honoring the legacy of Rabbi Heber, the President remarked on how he turned personal pain into a vision: A world where no one dies simply for lack of a kidney - a dream that has become a reality thanks to these thousands of donors.

Last year Guiness said that it was no longer accepting submissions from Israel or the Palestinian territories due to regional tensions. After some pressure, they have since reversed their position, and this is the first Israeli record since the Guinness World Records resumed accepting submissions from Israel.

Judy Singer, Vice President of the organization said “We are proud that Israel leads the world in altruistic kidney donation, and thrilled that Guinness has reconsidered its decision and is now prepared to accept our submission of this historic event as an official World Record".

You can read more about the Matnat Chaim organization here - and even see if you are a candidate to be a donor.