Rabbi Yeshayahu Haber, the ultra-Orthodox founder of the "GIft of Life" (Matnat Chaim) NGO, has been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19.
According to ultra-Orthodox spokesman and journalist Yerach Toker, Haber is conscious, in stable condition, and is currently hospitalized at Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.
The Jerusalem rabbi has, over the past decade, become a leading proponent of living kidney donations, people who donate one of their kidneys to a stranger suffering from kidney disease and failure.
Haredi Journalist Yerach Toker tweeted a link for a joint online prayer where others could pray for the quick recovery of the Rabbi.
"It is so exciting to see the tremendous concern, interest and especially the public's prayers for the rabbi's well-being," he said in a tweet, showing that so far, nearly 4000 chapters of Tehilim had been read by 1737 individuals, with the ultimate goal of finishing the book completely, with each person reading one or two chapters.
"Please continue to pray he recovers soon, so that he is able to continue his revolutionary and rare practice of saving human lives," Toker added.
לינק לקריאת תהלים: https://t.co/k9kCP9XaDE
— ירח טוקר (@hadover1) April 12, 2020
Journalist Ben caspit tweeted his support, saying "I am not a praying man, but if anyone deserves prayers and good health then it is Rabbi Yeshayahu Haber of "Gift of Life," the one from the kidney donations, who is hospitalized with coronavirus in Hadassah. I wish a quick and full recovery for the man who brought life to 800 people."
Rabbi Yeshayahu Haber received his kidney donation twelve years ago. In the time since his operation, Haber and his wife have dedicated themselves to their mission of searching for kidney donors who are willing to help not friends or family members but dialysis patients in Israel whom they have never before met in their lives.