Mr. Chananya Shachor
Jerusalem Burial Society

[1 minutes  36 seconds]

[Narrator]

Chananya Shachor is a director of the Jerusalem Burial Society, the Chevra Kadisha. With over 100,000 gravesites, it is the largest burial society in Jerusalem. Mr. Shachor has worked at the burial society for the past 25 years where his father and grandfather worked before him.

Mr. Shachor will address some of the popular myths concerning organ donation and burial.

[Mr. Chananya Shachor]

There is no problem in the burying of those people who donate organs because we take it as a mitzvah. To donate organs to save other people’s lives and therefore we treat people who donate organs – [they] are buried – just like any other ordinary man who passes away in Jerusalem.

According to the Halacha, it is even a command to donate organs for saving lives and therefore its 100% ok with us, with the Chevra  Kadisha to bury them like any other regular deceased.

[Interviewer]

And is there any problem with Tahara?

[Shachor]

There is no problem with the Tahara, we do the same tahara as we do to other people. And in order to be a donator, you just have to have good will. Once you have good will, everything else is ok.

I heard about the activities of the Halachic Organ Donor Society, I think it’s a very important activity. I think the activity should take place also here in Israel because that has to get into the minds of people that donating organs is very, very, very big mitzvah to save other people’s lives.