The first night of Hanukkah 2021 will always be remembered as a truly miraculous evening in the lives to two women who are now connected forever.

Gift of Life was invited to introduce a bone marrow donor and recipient at the National Menorah Lighting Ceremony in Washington, D.C. on November 28, 2021. Thousands attended the ceremony held on the Ellipse, just across from the White House, including First Gentleman Douglas C. Emhoff. 

A highlight of the ceremony was the moment when bone marrow transplant recipient Rosa Warsaw, a 40-year-old wife and mother of two from Silver Spring, Md., was introduced for the first time to her Gift of Life donor, Rebecca Berg, a 29-year-old skincare specialist from Chicago. They were introduced by Rabbi Levi Shemtov, Executive Vice President of American Friends of Lubavitch (Chabad). Rabbi Shemtov led the evening’s celebrations, along with his father, Rabbi Abraham Shemtov, the organization’s national director.

Rebecca joined Gift of Life’s registry during her Birthright Israel trip in 2013. When she learned she was a match for a woman battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, her biggest worry was that she wouldn’t be a close enough match to donate. Confirmatory typing showed that she was an excellent match, and the transplant was completed in late 2017.

Rosa’s thank you to Rebecca was especially poignant.

“Three months after I was diagnosed with leukemia my brother passed away,” she said. “I thank you that my parents didn’t have to lose two children.” Rosa also told Rebecca how important it was that she was able to survive to be with her husband and two sons.

“If it weren’t for Gift of Life I never would have known to join the registry,” Rebecca told the audience.  “You are the difference for not only your recipient, but also for every person who has family and friends depending on their lives.”

Thank you to Chabad for inviting Gift of Life to bring these two young women together for the first time during the National Menorah Lighting Ceremony.