Kidney Donor, Recipient Will Tell Stories At Montclair Synagogue

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Kidney recipient Faith Kaplan and her donor, Judy Summers, will tell their stories at Bnai Keshet’s Kaplan Minyan on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Montclair in observance of National Donor Sabbath.

According to a release from Bnai Keshet, the Kaplan Minyan, which meets in the Red Gables historic house across the parking lot from the synagogue’s main building, begins at 10:30 a.m. with selected songs and readings.

Kaplan, a longtime member of Bnai Keshet, and Summers will speak about their personal experience with organ donation and the importance of it. According to Kaplan, every day 20 people die because they cannot get the organ transplant they need. In New Jersey alone, nearly 4,000 people await life-saving operations and thousands more wait for tissue transplants that can improve quality of life.

The organ donation registry may be accessed online at www.NJSharingNetwork.org.

• See related article: 29 Strangers Donate Kidneys To Each Other In Essex County
• See related article: Essex County Infant Saves 3 Lives With N.J. Organ Donations

The Bnai Keshet Kaplan Minyans are named for Reconstructionist Judaism founder Mordecai Kaplan, who sought to create a Jewish framework for discussions of ethics, culture, history and current events. They are designed for people who enjoy a communal Shabbat and want to enrich their understanding of Jewish peoplehood in an alternative, less traditional setting.

Bnai Keshet, a Reconstructionist synagogue serving the Greater Essex area, is located at 99 So. Fullerton Avenue in Montclair. For more information, visit www.bnaikeshet.org/event/kaplanminyans.

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Photo courtesy of Bnai Keshet