For 20 years, Gift of Life Marrow Registry and Taglit-Birthright Israel have joined forces to empower Birthright participants to become blood stem cell and marrow donors. The selfless acts of these young people have given many blood cancer patients a second chance at life. On Sept. 16, the organizations celebrated this milestone at the annual “One Huge Night Los Angeles Gala” while marking the 500th successful transplant from Birthright donors.
“Thanks to our partnership with Birthright, we’ve witnessed firsthand the power of young people to make a truly extraordinary impact,” said Jay Feinberg, founder and CEO of Gift of Life Marrow Registry. “The Birthright participants who have volunteered to become donors have shown remarkable courage and compassion. Their selfless acts have given countless patients a new lease on life, and they have become true heroes in our community.”
Since partnering in 2004, Gift of Life and Birthright Israel have successfully recruited thousands of young adults as donors. This collaboration has led to hundreds of lifesaving transplants for patients with leukemia, lymphoma and inherited immune disorders.
“Birthright Israel, which brings tens of thousands of Jewish young adults to Israel every year, is extremely proud of the more than 100,000 participants who have volunteered to join the Gift of Life Marrow Registry. To date, 5,000 matches have been made for patients with blood cancer, resulting in over 500 lifesaving transplants,” said Gidi Mark, CEO of Birthright Israel. “The partnership between Birthright Israel and Gift of Life has had a profound impact, saving thousands of lives and offering hope to many individuals and their families.”
Dr. Miriam Adelson, an Israeli-American physician and philanthropist, as well as the publisher of the Israel Hayom newspaper and the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, delivered the event’s keynote address. A dedicated Gift of Life advocate, she and her husband, Sheldon Adelson, were instrumental in creating the Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Gift of Life Collection Center located at Gift of Life’s headquarters in Boca Raton, Fla.
“It is a great honor for me to be involved in this lifesaving collaboration between Gift of Life and Birthright Israel, where so many participants and alumni are committed to such a noble cause. You are not only changing lives but also saving them,” she said. “The Talmud teaches that whoever saves a single life is considered to have saved the whole world. I am proud to witness this remarkable partnership between these two incredible nonprofits, which has already saved over 500 lives—500 worlds!”
The gala featured two first-time donor-recipient meetings, including that of 21-year-old Jacob Isrow from West Hills, Calif., whose blood stem cells saved the life of leukemia patient Mark Josephson. A student at the University of California, Berkeley, Isrow joined the registry during a Birthright trip in 2022. He was inspired by his friend, whose father succumbed to blood cancer.
Gift of Life donor Jason Tornes from Dayton, Ohio, also met his recipient, 3-year-old Isla Kobernat, who survived severe combined immunodeficiency as a result. Tornes joined the registry in 2022 as a student at the University of Dayton.
Among the special guests were award-winning actress, singer, dancer, philanthropist and social-media activist Montana Tucker.
