February 2011 PDF - Temple Sinai

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2 From the Rabbi’s Study Rabbi Adam Wohlberg It was less than 4 months ago, on October 20, 2010, that I received an email and a phone message from a representative of the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), also known as Be The Match. The email and the call came as a bit of a shock. It had been a number of years since I had registered with the NMDP at a marrow registry drive which we held at Temple Sinai, and certainly more than 20 years since I had first had my marrow tested as a rabbinical student in New York. Now, out-of-the-blue, I was told that I was a potential match for a patient in need of a marrow transplant. The representative to whom I spoke on October 20 had one question for me: Was I still interested in being a donor? ―Yes,‖ I answered. I would need to go through some further testing – some blood would have to be drawn – and to provide some information about my medical history and my present condition. Was I prepared to do that? ―Of course,‖ I responded. Later that week, I went to a medical facility where several vials of blood were taken from my arm. It would be a number of weeks, I was told, before I would know if I was, in fact, a match for a patient in need of stem cells. On January 3, 2011, I learned that I was a match. Information about Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Donation was on its way and I would need to review it and sign-off on a number of forms before going for a physical the following week at Hahnemann University Hospital. Time was of the essence and so my donation date was scheduled right away, as were the four days of injections that would precede my stem cell donation. As you can well imagine, I had a great many questions about the process, and between the literature I was sent, the representative from Be The Match, and the medical staff at Hahnemann, all of my questions were answered. There were only 2 unknowns: 1) Just how would my body react to the filgrastim injections (most people, I was informed, experience some achiness in their bones from this drug which is meant to stimulate increased stem cell production), and 2) Would I be donating stem cells on the date assigned for my donation (a number of factors related to the recipient could have potentially ended or postponed the need for my donation). But I was committed to the process and prepared myself for whatever the outcome might be. On Thursday, February 3, I returned to Hahnemann for the first in a series of five injections of filgrastim. A visiting nurse was sent to our home for the injections I needed on the second, third, and fourth days. Monday, February 7, was the day of my last injection and my donation. I arrived at Hahnemann at 7:15 AM and by 8:15 AM I was in a hospital bed with a needle in each arm. From my left arm the blood was extracted and the stem cells were separated from it before the remaining components of my blood were returned into my right arm. Was it painful? Not in the least. I have donated blood on numerous occasions and this was no different, aside from the fact that as blood was leaving one arm, I also had blood returning into the other. Both Shira and a nurse were constantly nearby during the six-hour donation and I was able to eat, drink, and carry on a conversation. The hospital staff could not have been more attentive or more helpful and the time went by rather quickly. Unlike the times when I have donated blood, a gentleman arrived as my donation was concluding. He would be responsible for transporting my stem cells to their final destination. My contact person at the NMDP also came to the hospital to see how I was feeling and to let me know what I should and should not be doing during the first week following my donation. He also followed up with phone calls during the week to check on my condition. Other than feeling a bit more tired than usual, I have felt great! It is an interesting experience to look back on and I find myself wondering about the recipient of my stem cells. I am anxious to hear how he is doing, though I know I won’t learn anything about his condition for at least 6 weeks. Was I nervous or frightened about the process? I can honestly say that I wasn’t. I reasoned that my being a match was part of God’s plan and I felt protected every step of the way. As my donation began, I recited a prayer. Not a prayer in which I asked God to watch over me during my donation, but a prayer that allowed me to thank God for the opportunity to help another human being. continued on page 3
Executive Vice- President Mark Sussman As Executive Vice President, my m a j o r r e s p o n s i b i l i t y (constitutionally) is to prepare and preside over the monthly Temple Sinai Board of Directors Meeting. Eleven times during the year on the third Wednesday of the month, the ―Board‖ meets, discusses, resolves, votes, and approves the business of the congregation. In May of each year the Annual Congregational Meeting/Election replaces the ―Board Meeting‖. At most meetings the attendance can swell to 60 (9 officers, 28 elected members, Past Presidents, Life Members and Professional Staff). The process of preparing for the meeting starts with the request for reports from our Standing Committees, and Appointed Committees (Ad Hoc). Those who respond and want a place on the agenda will provide a written report to me so that I can distribute the report to each member of the ―Board‖ prior to the meeting. This process has helped shorten the meetings and more importantly given each member the time to review the report and has made the discussions during the meeting more meaningful. After receiving the reports, I will generate an agenda, keeping in mind the number of reports and the time constraints for each report in relationship to the entire evening. We try to conduct Shul business within a 2 hour time frame (we are Jewish and sometimes the 50-60 people in attendance have 90-100 opinions) but often the meetings will end too late in the night. A typical agenda will contain a D’var Torah, approval of the minutes from last month, and several Committee Reports. In addition we will almost always hear reports from the President, Executive Director, Director of C o n g r e g a t i o n a l L e a r n i n g , Treasurer, Cantor, and Rabbi. Among the many committees, we often hear from are the Fundraising, Housing, and Membership. Periodic reports are scheduled on the agenda from the Religious, Youth Activities and Nominating & Governance Committees. The ―Board‖ is kept apprised of issues concerning the building, the schools, membership and finances. As the presiding officer at the meetings and with the President, we are always conscious of the importance of conducting the meeting with order and meaningful dialogue in a respectful and ―up‖ environment. We constantly request ideas to improve the process. Rabbi continued from page 2 Personally, it wasn’t necessary that I know the recipient of my donation, and, in fact the recipient and the donor are not permitted to know each other’s identities. While I am likely to receive an occasional update on the status of the recipient, we will have no contact with one another for the first year. After a year’s time, if we would like to become known to one another, an introduction can take place. Since my donation, I have prayed that this individual will be returned to good health. And while his recovery is something that I wish for each and every day, my other great hope is that others will add their names to the marrow donor registry, making it possible for additional lives to be saved. Jewish tradition teaches us V’chol ha’mikayem nefesh achat ma’alim alav k’eeloo ki’yem olam maleh – ―One who saves a life is credited with saving an entire world‖ (Mishna Sanhedrin 4:5). If you have questions about registering, or donating, I am happy to answer them. The best information can be found at BeTheMatch.org. Go online and you can order a kit that will allow you to join the registry from your home. If you are not sure whether you have already joined the National Marrow Registry, you can find out by calling 1 (800) MARROW-2 (1-800-627-7692). If you are between the ages of 18 and 60, do not wait. Register now. You may be able to help save a life. March 12, 2011 April 2, 2011 May 7, 2011 June 4, 2011 3
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February 2011 PDF - Temple Sinai

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