Bilvavi

Bilvavi (Hebrew: עמותת בלבבי, 'in my heart') is an Israeli nonprofit association founded in 2011 by the Hirschberg family in memory of Bleha Hirschberg, a mother of ten from Ma'ale Mikhmas who suffered from pulmonary fibrosis and died shortly after a lung transplant. The association aims to encourage organ donation in Israel, particularly among the religious and traditional Jewish public, many of whom avoid signing the standard Adi donor card due to halachic concerns. Bilvavi offers its own donor card, which frames organ donation as a religious commandment (mitzvah) and places the donation under the oversight of a rabbinic-medical body called 'Arevim' (ערבים), which supervises the determination of brain death according to Jewish law. The association is independent and not part of the National Transplant Center of the Israeli Ministry of Health. Its launch sparked controversy, with critics arguing that the card could undermine organ donation by allowing rabbinic oversight that might discourage families from donating, and that it might prioritize Jewish recipients. In response, the National Transplant Center initially revoked priority in transplant queues for Bilvavi cardholders. Over the years, efforts to reconcile the two approaches led to a compromise: a unified card format was agreed upon by some rabbis, and some Bilvavi cardholders converted to the Adi card. Bilvavi remains active in promoting organ donation within the religious community.

Bilvavi was founded in 2011 by the Hirschberg family in memory of Bleha Hirschberg, a mother of ten from Ma'ale Mikhmas who suffered from pulmonary fibrosis. She waited about two years for a lung transplant but died shortly after the transplant due to multi-system failure. Her family established the association in her memory, and alongside it a rabbinic-medical body called 'Arevim' was created to provide halachic oversight over the determination of brain death. The association launched a 'donor card' and began signing rabbis and religious public figures onto a 'holy epistle' calling on the public to sign the 'Bilvavi card'. Unlike the Adi association, Bilvavi operates independently and is not part of the National Transplant Center of the Israeli Ministry of Health. The launch of the Bilvavi card sparked sharp controversy. Medical professionals and activists from Adi argued that it was unacceptable for a 'religious person' to supervise their work. It was also claimed that the card was a deceptive act: on one hand, signatories would receive priority in transplant queues, while on the other hand, the rabbinic-medical body 'Arevim' would recommend families not to donate the organs of the deceased. Another claim was that 'Arevim' rabbis would approve organ donation for Jews only, based on the quote on the card: 'Whoever saves one life in Israel'. These claims led to practical action: the right to priority in transplants was revoked for Bilvavi cardholders, due to opposition from the National Transplant Center. Bilvavi rejected these claims, accusing opponents of wanting to distance rabbis and halacha from medical questions, of personal motives, of denying priority to a patient merely for maintaining religious values, and of limiting the ability to increase consent rates for transplants in Israel. According to Bilvavi, the Adi card had exhausted its potential among the general population, and a new card was needed for the traditional-religious public. Over the years, attempts were made to reconcile the sides without success. In recent years, an agreement was reached between rabbis in the field and the Transplant Center on a unified card format, and rabbis were trained to rule on brain death when needed. Accordingly, rabbis from religious Zionism called to sign the Adi card, and many Bilvavi cardholders converted to the Adi card.

• 2011

  Bilvavi association founded by the Hirschberg family in memory of Bleha Hirschberg.

• 2011

  Launch of the Bilvavi donor card and the 'Arevim' rabbinic-medical oversight body.

• 2011

  Controversy erupts; National Transplant Center revokes priority for Bilvavi cardholders.

• 2010

  Agreement reached between rabbis and the Transplant Center on a unified card format; many Bilvavi cardholders convert to Adi card.

Religious-Zionist and traditional Jewish public in Israel

• Bilvavi donor card

  A donor card that expresses the signer's willingness to donate organs after death, with donation conditioned on the approval of the 'Arevim' rabbinic-medical body.

• Controversy over the Bilvavi card

Read more

• Revocation of priority for Bilvavi cardholdersOther

1. 1עמותת בלבביhe.wikipedia.org
2. 2Bilvaviwikidata.org
3. 3GoKoshergokosher.co.il