WYHS student Avital Abir and Program Director Rabbi Joshua Spodek conceived of this joint program between WYHS and the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation in order to reinforce the values of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. Joining Jay Feinberg via video-conference, were WYHS alumni, Avi Amsalem and Perel Hande, both blood stem cell donors. Avi and Perel both spoke of their experiences as donors, explaining to the students that by having the opportunity to give of themselves, they were as much the recipients as were the patients who received their stem cells. Their experiences as donors along with Jay’s as a bone marrow recipient served to inspire the students to help Gift of Life in its mission to ensure that no patient dies for lack of a bone marrow donor.

The video conference equipment was supplied by Yeshiva University and the Global Learning Initiative. Weinbaum Yeshiva High School (WYHS) has a mission to provide excellence in college preparatory and Judaic studies to Jewish teenagers who seek religious and academic growth in a safe and caring environment.