Chief Rabbi backs month-long bid to raise awareness of Jewish genetic disorders
Jnetics charity launches 'Geneuary' initiative and urges members of the community to get screened
The Chief Rabbi has given his backing to a month-long campaign to raise awareness about screening for Jewish genetic disorders (JGDs) which launched on Monday.
One in five Jews of Ashkenazi origin are thought to be healthy carriers of a severe recessive JGD, said UK-based charity Jnetics, and carrier screening identifies those at risk of passing one or more of these disorders on to their future children.
Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis said: “Thanks to Jnetics we are capable of eradicating JGD’s from our community. More than 3,000 people have been tested since screening started. It sounds like a big number, but it is far less than it should be. He further urged all young Jewish adults to get tested.
Jnetics chief executive Nicole Gordon said the ‘Geneuary’ campaign was to “raise awareness of recessive JGDs, the importance of carrier screening in their prevention, and the screening service we offer via the Jnetics Clinic”.
JGDs can have a devastating effect on the lives of both the child and parents. “Carrier couples” who are aware of their status prior to conceiving are given a range of options to help reduce the risk of passing one of the disorders on.
Screening is subsidised, run in partnership with the NHS, and is being offered at a further 20 percent reduced price this month, to encourage people to get screened.
Jnetics aims to screen as many young Jewish adults as possible through its GENEius programme in schools and universities, with clinics targeted at young couples. Since June, its screening offering has become totally virtual.
JGDs are disorders that are more common in Jews relative to the general population and Jnetics currently focuses on nine of the most common and severe.
“They can either be fatal in childhood or cause chronic disability and shortened lifespan,” said Aviva Lewis, Jnetics’ research and development manager.
“Tay Sachs is the most widely known, but there are others that are just as severe, that can have a devastating impact on a family. With screening widely available there is absolutely no reason why a couple should have to endure the pain of their child being born with life threatening or life shortening genetic illness.”
Gordon added: “In times of such uncertainty so much is out of our control, but eradicating JGDs from our community is not.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
