by Contributing Author

Jews worldwide have begun to celebrate Chanukah, an eight-day festival on the Jewish calendar, at sundown on Thursday, December 7, up to sundown on Friday, December 15.

While we commemorate the miracle of victory in 165 B.C.E. and the miracle of the oil lasting eight days, Chanukah, which falls during the darkest season of the year, also teaches us that we must be a light unto others, by helping the less fortunate.

Every Chanukah, while we commemorate the ancient miracles, we seek the marvels in our lives, such as food, shelter, family, and friends. At the same time, we must do miracles for others around us by assisting those in need.

With that said, This holiday season, JScreen, a non-profit initiative committed to preventing genetic diseases, is joining hands with the iconic kosher brand Manischewitz the leading kosher family brand with a rich history spanning over 120 years. This collaborative effort aims to raise awareness about the importance of Jewish genetic screening for students and the Jewish community.

What is Jewish genetic screening?

People are often tested using a single process that screens for multiple diseases at the same time. The most prevalent Jewish genetic illnesses are included in various suggested testing panels, while some processes screen for as many as 100 distinct problems.

Carrier testing is done using DNA analysis from blood or saliva. Some disorders, such as Tay-Sachs, may also necessitate enzyme testing. Sometimes, screening may be done at an OB/GYN practice or a medical genetics center.

Overtime, JScreen has created relationships with student groups on college campuses through onsite genetic screening events. JScreen is a community-based national public health project committed to the prevention of Jewish and other genetic illnesses. JScreen, based at the Department of Human Genetics at Emory University School of Medicine, provides easy access to cutting-edge genetic testing technologies, patient education, and genetic counseling services.

In addition to delivering onsite screening at events around the United States, the service provides screening to people’s homes. People may register for JScreen online 24 hours a day, seven days a week, receive a saliva collection kit in the mail, send as a sample, and receive your results by secure video call or a phone call with JScreen genetic counselors.

What are the Ashkenazi Jewish genetic disorders?

Individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry are predisposed to various autosomal recessive genetic diseases. Examples include Tay-Sachs disease Cystic fibrosis, Bloom syndrome, familial dysautonomia, Canavan disease, Fanconi anemia, Niemann-Pick disease, Gaucher disease, and mucolipidosis type IV.

One in every four or five people of Ashkenazi Jewish origin is thought to be a carrier for one of these genetic diseases.

Routine preconception or prenatal extended carrier screening is advised because of the elevated occurrence of these disorders in this community.

Depending on the needs of the patient, laboratory testing may include a gene panel for many diseases, single-disorder genetic testing, or additional tests (e.g., hexosaminidase enzyme assays for Tay-Sachs disease).

Who needs genetic screening?

Jewish genetic screening can inform people if they are more likely to produce children with a hereditary condition. People of Ashkenazi Jewish origin who want to have children or are pregnant may benefit from this testing. If you or your spouse has a grandmother with this ancestry or a family member, you should consider testing.

Carrier screening is needed for non-Ashkenazi Jewish people whose reproductive partner is a carrier of one or more diseases, as well as for those who have a family history of a specific disorder but do not know what the familial pathogenic mutation is.

 In these cases, disorder-specific testing may be ordered; nevertheless, the detection rate of the Ashkenazi Jewish common variant panels varies with disease and is unclear for other groups.

When should you be tested?

The earlier testing is done, the greater the number of possibilities accessible. Couples are examined for genetic incompatibilities before they are introduced in some Orthodox communities where marriage and dating are often facilitated by matchmakers.

Individual testing before marriage, and certainly prior to pregnancy, is recommended by specialists in the larger Jewish community, when such precautions may be impossible.

Typically, the woman gets tested first, followed by her spouse, for any genetic diseases for which she is confirmed to be a carrier. If just one person is Jewish, that partner is usually tested first. If the lady is pregnant, both partners are tested at the same time. If both parents are carriers, the fetus is tested.

 Why we are advocating for testing this season of Chanukah

Although genetics may appear technical, simple messages can assist in informing at-risk community members, especially because some genetic disorders are more frequent among Jews than in the overall population. Canavan disease, Gaucher disease, and hereditary malignancies, notably those caused by BRCA gene mutations, are examples of such conditions.

The Jewish community is more genetically varied than ever before, because of interfaith marriage, conversion, and other causes. Nonetheless, hereditary illnesses continue to affect the Jewish community more frequently than the overall population.

“We are very proud to offer support our students with information about Jewish genetic testing and comfort food for the soul,” says Rabbi Ilan Schwartz, Executive Director of Hillel at Emory.

JScreen and Manischewitz collaboration this season of miracles

As Chanukah approaches, JScreen, a national non-profit public health effort committed to avoiding Jewish and other genetic disorders, is pleased to announce a meaningful relationship with Manischewitz, the premier kosher family brand with a long 120-year heritage. The goal of this joint initiative is to increase awareness about the significance of genetic screening for family planning.

College campuses are the main emphasis, with students provided genetic testing to help protect the health of their future kids.

“There is no better time than now to collaborate with JScreen in educating and reaching out to college students, highlighting the significance of genetic screening for the well-being of this and future generations. We share the love of family and are proud to support this effort for Jewish college students who are really struggling right now,” states Shani Siedman, CMO of Manischewitz. “Manischewitz products are ’comfort food for the soul,’ and what could be a better time than now to provide our delicious food items to nurture college students,” adds Seidman.