Why I'm canceling my organ donation card, Israel

Haaretz Daily Newspaper | Tia Flohr

When it is a matter of saving human life, I am Haredi. But then into this mix comes the The National Transplant Center women-free ad in Jerusalem.

I wish to hereby declare that I am relinquishing my Adi card. I signed up for it a long time ago, and never for a moment regretted the decision, until a few days ago. And if I may, with all due seriousness: it's a shame. Because I'm a pretty good client. I'm closing in on 40, have never had hepatitis or shingles, haven't been to any exotic countries or collected any parasites, and my latest checkup showed that I have a praiseworthy liver, a heart that is just the right size, and corneas that are in superb shape. In addition, I also ride a motorcycle, which in my humble opinion makes me a preferred client. But no, please remove me from your lists. And do not pull a fast one and declare me a "dormant client." The client is neither dormant not in any sort of deep sleep and if, heaven forbid, she were, you would not be allowed to get near her with a scalpel.

I was dismayed to learn that you don't just transplant at the National Transplant Center; you also extract. With the wave of a single outdoor ad in Jerusalem, you excised women from the list of donors and recipients as soon as you caved in to pressure from the Haredim to run the Adi advertisements without photographs of us. And what is the woman-free ad really trying to tell us? "Be a man, give a kidney"? Or "Be a man, receive a lobe"? Or is it "You can trust us, fella - you won't be donating to a woman"? The advertisement is directly aimed at an audience that is unwilling to accept an advertising photograph in which a woman's face may be seen. But an audience that is willing to accept other things.

Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/why-i-m-canceling-my-organ-donation-card-1.397942