Matnat Chaim - Altruistic Kidney Donation in Israel

08/10/2026

“I don’t know how to thank him for everything he has done.”

Anton Lobanov’s father, Grigory, received a kidney through Matnat Chaim after more than a year of dialysis. The transplant took place a day before the third anniversary of the abduction of his son Alex, who was murdered in Hamas captivity.

Alongside their grief, the family now has reason for hope. We wish Grigory and his donor a smooth recovery. 💙

Watch their story in the video below.

07/10/2026

Two young patients receive new life:
Today at Beilinson, Aryeh, a young man from the Jerusalem area, will receive a kidney from Hadassah, also from the Jerusalem area.
At Ichilov, Bar, a young man from southern Israel, will receive a kidney from Moshe, from the Hebron Hills.
Please keep Aryeh, Hadassah, Bar and Moshe in your thoughts and prayers today.

06/10/2026

Another tripleheader!
Today, three patients will receive kidneys at three different transplant centers.
At Sheba, Grigori, from southern Israel, will receive a kidney from Yosef, from the Jerusalem area. At Hadassah, Sarah, from Jerusalem, will receive a kidney from Avraham, from the Jerusalem area. And at Beilinson, Eliyahu, from central Israel, will receive a kidney from Noam, from the Shfela region.
Please keep Grigori, Yosef, Sarah, Avraham, Eliyahu and Noam in your thoughts and prayers today.

05/10/2026

Three patients receive a new lease on life in one day!
Today at Schneider, Gilad, a young boy from northern Israel, will receive a kidney from Avraham, from the Shomron.
At Sheba, Yaakov, from central Israel, will receive a kidney from Simcha, from southern Israel.
At Beilinson, another Yaakov from central Israel, will receive a kidney from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.
Please keep Gilad, Avraham, Yaakov, Simcha, Yaakov and the anonymous donor in your thoughts and prayers today.

04/10/2026

Back to routine with a big week of kidney transplants:
Today, two women will receive the gift of life at two transplant centers!
At Hadassah, Tal, a young woman from Jerusalem, will receive a kidney from Shmuel, also from Jerusalem.
At Beilinson, Einat, from northern Israel, will receive a kidney from Sarit, from central Israel.
Please keep Tal, Shmuel, Einat and Sarit in your thoughts and prayers today.

01/10/2026

They’re used to saving lives as part of their work. This time, they chose to do it outside the clinic as well.

Thirteen kidney donors in Israel are physicians. In an article published by Doctors Only, four of them share the moment when professional knowledge, experience, and conscience came together in one decision: to donate a kidney to someone they had never met.

Prof. Mitchell Schwaber, Dr. Penina Friesen, Dr. Tomer Meir, and Dr. Aharon Bloch come from different fields of medicine, but they all chose to turn what they know about saving lives into something deeply personal.

Because sometimes, even those who dedicate their lives to caring for others choose to give a little more of themselves.

29/09/2026

Four operating rooms, two kidney transplants:
Today at Beilinson, Yevgeny, from central Israel, will receive a kidney from Akiva, from the Sharon region.
At Sheba, Alkayim, from central Israel, will receive a kidney from Reuven, from Gush Etzion.
Please keep Yevgeny, Akiva, Alkayim and Reuven in your thoughts and prayers today.

28/09/2026

Nothing like a kidney donation to add extra joy to the holiday!
Today at Sheba, Dekel, a young man from central Israel, will receive a kidney from Tzvia, from southern Israel.
Please keep Dekel and Tzvia in your thoughts and prayers today.

27/09/2026

A Chol Hamoed kidney donation:
Today at Beilinson in Petah Tikva, Ella, from northern Israel, will receive a kidney after many years of waiting. Her donor wishes to remain anonymous.
Please keep Ella and her donor in your thoughts and prayers today.

24/09/2026

A mother watches her son make a decision that fills her with fear, pride, and ultimately, awe: to give one of his kidneys to a stranger.

In a deeply personal piece for Israel National News, Gila Berkowitz writes about the journey from the moment her son announced his decision, through the long hours of surgery, to the first embrace between donor and recipient.

She also writes about Rachel Heber, Rabbi Yeshayahu Heber z”l, and the work of Matnat Chaim, which has helped make altruistic kidney donation a remarkable part of Israeli life.

Her conclusion says it all:

“Sometimes a perfect body has only one kidney.”

A beautiful story about parenthood, faith, generosity, and what it truly means to give life.

Read the full article >>

Israel is the country with the most altruistic kidney donors per capita.