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WIEINTIQAM ,WWFILIEUS "SUNSET STRIP" 29536 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, MI 48034 ( PHONE: 357-4000 ) , ",i4, ` ROBYN KLEEREKOPER Special to The Jewish News HOLIDAY HRS.: M - F 10 - 7, Sat. 10 - 6, Sun. 12 - 5 ".S E IKO) Orthodox, Non-Orthodox Tests Are Scheduled For Tay-Sachs DESIGNS IN DECORATOR LAMINATES For High Quality Formica Always At A Great Discount A local committee has begun organizing a special Tay-Sachs disease screening targeting mainly Orthodox Jews. On the same day — Sinai Hospital, Wayne State University and The Jewish News are organizing a community-wide screening at several locations. The screenings are part of a nationwide effort to eliminate SPECIALIZING IN • Bars • Wall Units • Bedroom Groupings • Dining Rooms • Credenzas ALSO SPECIALIZING • Woods • Glass • Marbles • Lucites IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COST A FORTUNE . . . ONLY LOOK LIKE IT! . S.ALL LOIS HARON 851-6989 NIBBLES & NUTS It's Never Too Early To Think Holidays ... . 737-8088 33020 Northwestern Highway Park Place Shops — Corner 14 Mile MasterCard Local & Nationwide Delivery Kosher & Sugarfree Available 14 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1988 visit Ii the fatal childhood disease which affects the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Thy-Sachs is one of several genetic diseases whose occurrence in Ashkenazi Jews is 10 times higher than in the general population or in Sephardi Jews. Robin Gold, a genetics counselor at Detroit's Sinai Hospital, says babies born to parents who have the Thy- Sachs gene "are born ap- parently normal and progress for the first six months or so, before things begin to go wrong. Then they start to lose all the abilities they had by that stage. They have seizures, and go blind and deaf. Their life expectancy is about four or five years of age." Because of Orthodox Judaism's views on abortion, the Orthodox screening will differ from the general screening. Orthodox Jews in- terpret Jewish law as forbid- ding abortion. If an Orthodox couple finds that the women is expecting a Tay-Sachs baby, abortion is not an option and the baby must be carried to full term. The Orthodox community in New York, and now Detroit, have therefore ap- proached the concept of Thy- Sachs prevention as a pre- nupital issue. According to Rabbi Shaiall Zachariash of Congregation Shomrey Emunah, "Every- one who takes the (Orthodox) screening is given a number, like a serial number, that is assigned to that individual alone. Unless marriage is be- ing considered, the results are not learned by the individual. "When a couple is ready for marriage, their numbers are submitted to the organiza- tion's central file. The response will come back tell- ing them if they can marry without fear of producing a 'Pay-Sachs infant, in effect giv- ing them the green light. If both are carriers, they are ad- vised to not marry." If only one of the couple is a carrier, the program does not give out this information; they are told only that they may marry. If they change their minds and decide to marry others, each couple would have to resubmit their nubmers to the central file for a check. Says Zachariash, "'Iblling a person they are a carrier is an unnecessary burden if their proposed spouse is not one." The screening is based on Chevra Dor Yeshovim, a Brooklyn, N.Y., group that has been active for five years. Blood sample results and the central registry will be kept in New York. Persons going through the community-wide screenings will be notified of the results of their tests within a few weeks. Locations for the testing and cost to in- dividuals are being determined. "We are attempting to target a very different group," says Rabbi Zachariash. In an effort to reach-observant Jews before they become parents, letters about the Orthodox screening are being sent to synagogues, temples, area yeshivot, United Hebrew Schools' Community Jewish High School and Hillel Day School. A public lecture about the screenings and Tay-Sachs disease will be held 8 p.m. Monday at the Jimmy Pren- tis Morris Jewish Communi- ty Center in Oak Park. Speaker will be Dr. Ralph Cash, who was involved in earlier community screenings conducted by Sinai and Henry Ford hospitals. Ford Hospital's head of genetics, Dr. Lester Weiss, suggests that the best time to be tested for the Tay-Sachs enzyme is before getting preg- nant. Pregnancy and some medications can affect the test results. Persons who were tested for Thy-Sachs five or six years ago should be re-tested, Dr. Weiss suggests, because new procedures are more accurate.