The Halachic Organ Donor Society, also known as the HOD Society, was started in December 2001 by http://www.hods.org/English/directorsE.shtml Robert Berman. Its mission is to save lives by increasing organ donation

Organ donation

Organ donation is the donation of biological tissue or an organ of the human body, from a living or dead person to a living recipient in need of a transplantation. Transplantable organs and tissues are removed in a surgical procedure following a determination, based on the donor's medical and...

 from Jews to the general public (including gentiles). The organization recognizes the legitimate debate in Orthodox Jewish law surrounding brain stem death

Brain stem death

Brain Stem Death is a clinical concept, implying an irreversibly unconscious patient, with irreversible apnea and irreversible loss of brain stem reflexes. The concept defines the core physiological basis for neurological diagnosis of death in the United Kingdom and elsewhere...

 and offers a unique organ donor card that allows people to choose between donating organs at brain stem death or alternatively at cessation of heart beat (asystole

Asystole

In medicine, asystole is a state of no cardiac electrical activity, hence no contractions of the myocardium and no cardiac output or blood flow...

). It currently has thousands of members, including more than http://www.hods.org/English/rabbisE.shtml 200 Orthodox Rabbis and several Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi

Chief Rabbi is a title given in several countries to the recognized religious leader of that country's Jewish community, or to a rabbinic leader appointed by the local secular authorities...

s.It has delivered educational lectures that have encouraged more than 25,000 Jews to donate organs. To date it has saved more than 200 lives.