Community Magazine August 2016

34 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE not experience any of the same symptoms of her older siblings. But her next two siblings were also diagnosed with the same debilitating and fatal disease that their oldest brother and sister were suffering from.” ITS ROOTS During this time, the resources and research available on genetic disease in general and Tay Sachs, in particular were primitive at best. Hundreds of families were experiencing heartbreaking anguish as they gave birth to children with Tay Sachs and other genetic diseases. With nowhere to turn to ease their burden and relieve some of their pain, these families chose to remain quiet about this genetic disease, so they would not be stigmatized and denied shidduchim for their healthy children. Rabbi Ekstein knew it was time to create massive change in the way genetic disease was researched and regarded. He is of the firm belief that if “something can be avoided, why not avoid it?” Not wanting others to experience the unspeakable tragedies that he underwent, Rabbi Ekstein, together with other dedicated individuals, began to develop the blueprints for the entity that, today, is Dor Yeshorim. ITS IMPACT To date, Dor Yeshorim is responsible for preventing over 4,760 families in Klal Yisrael from, rachmana l’tzlan , having children born with genetic disease. This organization, under the expert leadership and guidance of Rabbi Ekstein, has helped to eliminate Tay Sachs and many other debilitating genetic diseases from the Jewish community worldwide. In fact, in light of Dor Yeshorim’s lifesaving work, the Tay Sachs ward at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, once one of the largest Tay Sachs wards in the world, has closed its doors for good, due to a complete lack of admissions. The Director of Pediatrics at Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, Dr. Hua-Chin Chen, wrote a heartfelt letter to Rabbi Ekstein, thanking him for his tireless work in eradicating this disease. “I just wanted to write you a final chapter regarding [the] Tay Sachs disease,” the letter read in part. “Through your aggressive genetic testing system to prevent this serious medical problem, we have eliminated this disease. Our last Tay Sachs patients passed away five years ago and there have been no admissions since. I am grateful for your success and the support of the Jewish communities.” ITS PROGRAMS Dor Yeshorim constantly seeks to reproduce and multiply its existing successes so as to prevent even more agony and suffering from pervading Klal Yisrael’s families. It heavily invests in ongoing genetic research to ensure that this dream remains a reality. In so doing, it has become responsible for the identification of numerous disease-causing genetic mutations. Dor Yeshorim’s acclaimed and proven premarital genetic screening program, of thirty-three years, is the most successful of its kind in the world! To date, Dor Yeshorim has tested more than 427,500 individuals. Under the direction of the Gedolei Hador , each individual that Dor Yeshorim tests is identified throughout the process by a unique, nine-digit identification number. As part of its strict confidentiality policy, Dor Yeshorim does not reveal the carrier status of any testee. This, in turn, helps reduce the heartache and stigma that comes along with the knowledge that one is a carrier of genetic disease. It also helps provide much-needed peaceofmind to individuals going through the shidduchim process,whofearbeingacarrierof genetic disease. Dor Yeshorim screens tens of thousands of young men and women in 400 schools across the globe, making the genetic screening process simple for these individuals. More than 25,000 individuals are tested and close to 23,000 compatibility results are facilitated each year, through its highly efficient system. The premarital genetic screening program proceeds as follows: After a blood sample is drawn, each testee is given an identification number. Then, before a couple meets, they exchange ID numbers, keying the information into Dor Yeshorim’s automated system. Within a few hours, Dor Yeshorim calls them back with the results. If their genetic makeups are compatible, the couple may proceed with the shidduch , secure in the knowledge that they will not have children affected with the genetic diseases they tested for. If, rachmana l'tzlan, they were not found to be compatible genetically, Dor Yeshorim will advise the couple on the dangers of continuing with the match and offer support and guidance, as needed. Dor Yeshorim encourages those it screens to check shidduch compatibility before a couple meets for the first time – because, of course, incompatibility is much harder to bear after an emotional connection has been established.