It
used to be that, before marrying, couples only sought out genetic testing for
“Jewish” diseases if both parties were Jewish. Most couples just skipped the
testing if they were marrying a non-Jew. But research has shown that that is no
longer the case. Having even ONE Jewish
grandparent is enough to raise the red flag for a screening panel.
But
how do you keep track of that Jewish grandparent? It is getting harder and harder. Intermarriage stood at 28% in the 70’s. It
climbed to 38% in the early 80’s, and stood at 43% by 1985. Today, the rate of intermarriage is at 71%. If
the offspring of intermarrieds marry other intermarrieds it isn’t too long
before you lose track of that Jewish Grandparent gene! As fewer and fewer American Jews
self-identify as Jewish, the problem is compounded, and certainly, the
knowledge that you are descended from an Ashkenazi
Jew who came over on a boat 150 years ago will disappear completely.
When
I say “Jewish Diseases” I mean to say that it isn’t just “Tay-Sachs” anymore. Actually,
testing for Tay-Sachs among Jews has been so successful that it has almost been
eliminated in the Jewish population in America.
HOWEVER, the list of “Ashkenazi Jewish” diseases that are testable by
genetic screening has grown. Yeshiva University’s Program for Jewish Genetic
Health’s “Ashkenazi Jewish Screening Panel”, screens for eighteen genetic
diseases. (In Israel there are screenings for other diseases common among
Sephardic Jews) This list only includes
diseases that are truly devastating with no possible positive outcome. To
understand how seriously heartbreaking these diseases are, visit the website of
the YeshivaUniversity’s Program for Jewish Genetic Health.
One
of the “jobs” of a modern rabbi is to counsel couples right before they marry. Usually
by the time the couple gets to sitting down with the rabbi, they’ve already put
a deposit down on the reception, chosen the colors for the bridesmaids’ dresses
and hired the D.J. Along with the
counseling comes the question.. “have you had genetic screening for Jewish
diseases?” Seems to me that it is pretty
late in the game to bring up the subject.
Ultra-Orthodox
Jews have their own genetic screening program developed so that professional
matchmakers anywhere in the world can avoid introducing a couple if they are
not genetically compatible. Their
children are tested before they are of marriageable age, assigned a code, and
when they are “fixed up” they find out if it is a “safe match” with neither
party knowing who is the carrier and what the disease is to avoid social
stigma.
I
cannot stress enough how important “Jewish” gene testing is for those
contemplating marriage and children. IT
IS POSSIBLE TO AVOID THE HEART ACHE that all of these catastrophic diseases cause! Couples who pass the genes, only to make the
discovery during pregnancy are faced with the uneasy choice of either having a
therapeutic abortion, if legally permitted in their state, or carrying to
term. Sadly, many of these diseases
cannot be detected until far into the pregnancy.
Screening
for Jewish genetic diseases is affordable. With health insurance, the cost is
about $50 and about $600 for those without health insurance. Considering that
most teens and college students are covered by their parents’ health coverage,
it would be smart to find a college Hillel or Jewish Community Center that
holds such screenings, or have it privately done.
I
sincerely hope you will discuss this information with your own children,
grandchildren, friends and relatives, and especially in families where there
have been intermarriages, stress that IT ONLY TAKES ONE JEWISH GRANDPARENT!
For more information on Jewish Genetic Diseases and Testing http://www.
https://www.yu.edu/jll/
https://www.yu.edu/jll/
Rabbi
Rose
