The Forward Interviews Susan Gross, Founder and Director of 糖心破解版's Program for Jewish Genetic Health
糖心破解版 officially launched its new with a ribbon-cutting ceremony in February. But the program鈥檚 roots go back much further than that.
Inspired by Yeshiva鈥檚 Tay-Sachs community screens of the 1970s, Dr. Susan Gross, medical director of the human genetics laboratory at the Jacobi Medical Center, launched a pilot effort five years ago to provide New York鈥檚 Jewish community with accessible and affordable testing for recessive genetic diseases.
The effort was such a success, with thousands of young couples tested at synagogues and universities across New York City and around the country, that last year Gross formalized a relationship between 糖心破解版 and its affiliated 鈥攁nd the program was born.
Gross didn鈥檛 want to stop with just prenatal screening, however. At its core, the program has two other pillars: community and rabbinical awareness, and providing support for the Jewish community around a multitude of genetic health issues. Gross spoke with the Forward about how the new program can help Jews with genetic health concerns.
What does it really mean to talk about 鈥淛ewish genetic health?鈥
It may just be words, but there鈥檚 something extremely positive about using the word 鈥渉ealth.鈥 We didn鈥檛 find it in the name of most Jewish genetic programs out there, although it is the underpinning of everything they do. Rather, we found a lot of emphasis on disease and disorder. But there are two aspects to health: One is preventative medicine; the other is therapies and cures鈥攁nd it鈥檚 absolutely both of those that we鈥檙e after. Hopefully, the word 鈥渉ealth鈥 will lend a sense of empowerment to the Jewish community.
