Tell us about your nominee. Why should he or she be recognized as a Jewish Community Hero?

Dr. Stuart Greenstein of Teaneck, NJ, is a much beloved, very successful Professor of Surgery, Kidney Transplant Surgeon at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY. He and his colleagues perform over 100 kidney transplant surgeries each year. He goes above and beyond his call of duty as a doctor/surgeon. People from all over the world contact him regularly and consult with him on medical issues, whether it is a person in need of a kidney or someone considering donating a kidney, even if it's not one of his own patients, and he takes out time from his extremely busy schedule to do so. All of his patients love him -young and old, big or small, Jewish or non-Jewish. He does not just take out time to help his fellow Jews of every denomination, but helps all of humanity in an equal and caring way.

People from many parts of the USA and internationally as well, travel to his hospital just to have a kidney transplant done by him. There are even those who have donated a kidney at his hospital, insisting that they only wanted to do so at his hospital, because of him. This is not surprising at all, being a person of such great stature!

When Dr. Greenstein went to Florida one Passover, he took out the time to meet with someone who was in need of a kidney. When he goes to Israel on vacation he goes to visit ex-patients of his who had flown in to have a kidney transplant done by this extraordinary surgeon. What other doctor in the world would take their time out from their vacation to visit people who are in need of a kidney or visits ex-patients? And he does all this with a smile and asks for nothing in return He is called upon by many Orthodox referral groups and rabbis to discuss transplant issues because of his unique professional training, his respect for Yirath Shamayim (fear of Heaven), and his understanding of Halacha (Jewish law) in the area of organ transplantation. He is not just a mentch in the highest form, but many who have had kidney transplants done by him and others as well, have described him as a Tzaddik - a completely righteous person. His reputation is so great, that he is not only so highly praised and recommended by former patients, but from nephrologists and doctors in every field. 

What problem did your nominee identify in the community that needed to be solved? How has your nominee's efforts made a difference for others?

Despite being a very busy and popular surgeon, Dr. Greenstein is a member of his community's Chevrah Kadisha, Hebrew burial society and performs Taharas, purification on the body after death. Performing a Tahara, on a deceased person, is considered the highest form of charity and is called Chesed Shel Emes, true act of loving kindness, where the mitzvah is performed without getting a reward or even a thank you in return. It is a very difficult mitzvah to perform and a mitzvah that most people would have no desire to do and would not be able to handle. And he does this free of charge.