"Many of those who ride with me are moved by the fact that I donated a kidney and they see that everything is normal with me."
(Elyada Barak)
What an honor! The Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement was awarded this year to the chairman of Matnat Chaim, Rachel Heber!
Guinness World Records reversed its ban on submissions of records from Israel and the Palestinian territories, and accepted the Israeli record for the largest number of kidney donors to gather in one picture. 25.1.2026
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Matnat Chaim is celebrating its 2000th transplant and wants to set a world record – but Guinness is not accepting records from Israel.
Read moreThe chances of a kidney donor needing a transplant are extremely low. The reason is that someone who has been approved as a donor must undergo extensive testing to ensure that he is in good health and does not suffer from any condition which may lead to renal disease.
In addition, almost all diseases which cause kidney failure affect both kidneys equally. In other words, a person having both kidneys will not be at any advantage over a person having only one if he develops diabetes or hypertension or a virus, or receives some defective medication.
After kidney donation there is a recovery period of several weeks where the donor needs to take it easy. After the initial recovery period the donor can gradually return to all physical activities including sports and other parts of an active, healthy lifestyle with no limitations.
Many people, including doctors, would say: “One to keep, and one to donate!”. Of course, no organ is “extra”, God forbid. Many people require two kidneys to remain healthy. There are, however, many people who can remain healthy with one kidney, as is proven by many research studies and our own experience. Suitable testing is required to determine who qualifies as a kidney donor.
Kidney donors can fast like anyone else beginning a year after the donation. During the first year, doctors recommend that donors drink, including on fast days. Some experts advise refraining from fasting for three months, while others say half a year; the strictest opinion is to avoid fasting for one year. Consult your local rabbi for a halachic ruling in this matter. (This matter is treated extensively elsewhere on this site.)
Matnat Chaim is an Israeli non-profit that recruits and supports healthy volunteers who donate kidneys to patients who require a transplant. Our kidney donors receive no monetary compensation for their donation and the recipients do not pay for their transplants. All kidney donations are done on a voluntary and altruistic basis; the sole motivation of the organization and the kidney donors is the desire to help others and save lives.
MATNAT CHAIM® is a registered trademark of the Matnat Chaim association.