by Jill Huber
NJJN Bureau Chief/Monmouth

May 06, 2008

In 1978, a fellow congregant at the Marlboro Jewish Center/Congregation Ohev Shalom told Isabel Jacob about his upcoming heart surgery. He was worried about possible blood transfusions, and whether his blood type would be available.

That conversation galvanized Jacob into organizing a blood drive that took place several weeks later. Since then, she has been conducting twice-a-year community blood drives at the center’s Marlboro facility. Each blood drive is conducted with the assistance of the staff of the Central Jersey Blood Center in Shrewsbury. The blood drive scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17, will mark the 30th anniversary of the project.

“When people are in crisis, they shouldn’t have to worry about blood availability,” the Marlboro resident said. “We, their friends and community members, should assist them.”

The Marlboro Jewish Center blood drive is ranked as one of the most successful in Monmouth County, said Mike Clark, CJBC’s executive director.

“The energy of the synagogue volunteers is so valuable to us,” Clark said. “We’re a volunteer organization and have come to rely on them. What the synagogue does is a perfect example of a community that comes together for a good cause.

“I’ve become very endeared to the Jewish community members in Monmouth County,” he continued. “There’s a special place for them in my heart.”

Jacob said she and her 12-member blood drive committee are bringing to life words from the Talmud.

“There’s a talmudic phrase that says if you save one life, it’s like saving the world,” she said. “That, and the absolute generosity of the donors, make these blood drives so successful.”

When the blood drive project began in 1978, it attracted more than 75 donors. The response continued to build and by the early 1990s, separate drives were being held in the fall and spring. Jacob plans the drives around college students’ holiday breaks so that they too have the opportunity to donate.

In recent years, each drive had attracted about 70 donors, which results in about 65 units of donated blood, Jacob said.

The congregants of the Conservative synagogue, which has almost 900 member families, continue to respond to Jacob’s twice-a-year appeal. (She and her husband, Paul, an employment consultant in Princeton, were among the original members of the synagogue when it was founded in 1970.)

And she doesn’t hesitate to remind members of their donor opportunity — whether it be through the synagogue’s newsletters and bulletins, flyers posted throughout the building, weekly appeals from the rabbi, or reminder cards sent to previous donors. Jacob, who also passes the word to the synagogue’s in-house clubs, such as the sisterhood and men’s club, personally calls everyone who has donated in the last two years.

“It’s so important to personally ask each and every person who has the potential to give,” she said. “If you make the time and locations convenient, you have a good chance of attracting a lot of donors.”

Many Jews from other religious centers, as well as non-Jews from the general community, also donate to the cause, she said.

“People who are not members of the Jewish community donate blood every year,” said Jacob. “When they call to register, they often say they want to perform a mitzva, and they actually use that word. I’m glad the whole Monmouth County community wants to be a part of this and that they understand how important it is to do a good deed.”

---

Giving blood

Marlboro Jewish Center’s next blood drive is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. on Tuesday, June 17. Registration and other information about the blood drive is available from Isabel Jacob at 732-536-4859.

--TOP--

• Comment: comments@njjewishnews.com