Get information about genetic conditions, find resources, access genetic screening, and more
Genetic disorders occur when one or both copies of a gene have undergone a change, or mutation. Because of the common ancestry that many Jews share, some conditions appear in the Jewish population more frequently than in the general population. Many Jewish genetic disorders are passed down in an autosomal recessive fashion, which means they can hide in families until two carriers have a child with the disorder. Tay-Sachs is perhaps the most well-known Jewish genetic disorder, but there are many others.
We’re here to help. The Norton & Elaine Sarnoff Center for Jewish Genetics has information to answer your general questions about genetics, Jewish genetic disorders (including those more common among Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews), carrier screening, and how Jewish law and ethics relate to genetic health.
Articles and Events
Who Should Be Screened for Genetic Disorders? ACOG Releases Revised Statements
Did you know that 1 in 4 Ashkenazi Jews carries at least one "Jewish" genetic
Carrier Screening is about Ethnicity, not Religion
By: Aishwarya Arjunan and Alyssa Cohen Remember those family trees you did back in third
Testing Update: Dor Yeshorim Expands to the Sephardic Community
by Karen Litwack Dor Yeshorim (DY), a confidential premarital genetic screening program has been in
