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But except for a handful of interested women, the lecture was given to a nearly empty house. Rabbi Shaiall Zacha- riash of Congregation Shom- rey Emunah, who is helping to promote the screening, said he was disappointed by the turnout, but urged those in attendance to publicize the proposed testing date, Jan. 15. A follow-up letter will be sent to juniors and seniors in the religious schools to en- courage them to come on the day of testing, Rabbi Zachariash said. The Jewish News will co- sponsor the screening for the Orthodox community. A com- munity-wide screening con- ducted by Sinai Hospital is planned for the same day. Both screenings will be free of charge. Specialists say that anyone of child-bearing age, men and women, who was tested more than five years ago for Tay- Sachs should be tested again. They question the reliability of older tests. Tay-Sachs is "the most virulent, the worst" of the known Jewish genetic di- seases, according pediatrician Dr. Ralph Cash, guest speak- er at the meeting. Dr. Cash, who is on staff at Sinai and Children's hospitals, said per- sons with Tay-Sachs are lack- ing a specific enzyme which affects nerve cells. When the enzyme is lacking, fatty deposits coat the nerve cells and ultimately the nervous system is "short circuited." Dr. Cash said a child with Tay-Sachs dies three times: at conception, because there is no treatment for the disease, when the parents find out their child is stricken, when the child actually dies. At birth and for the first four-five months of its life a Thy-Sachs baby is normal. By by six months, the baby can- not eat by itself, becomes blind and subject to seizures.. Death occurs by age 4 or 5. The chances of having a - Tay-Sachs baby are greater . when both parents are car- riers of the disease. If two car- riers have four children, one child will be free of the disease, two will be carriers and one will have Tay-Sachs. Dr. Cash explained that car- riers of the disease are "ab- solutely well. It doesn't affect your health in any way." A pregnant woman can have a blood test to be screened for Tay-Sachs, without her baby being in- volved. The husband can also be tested, and if both are found to be carriers, an am- niocentesis test can be per- formed. It is then up to the parents whether they want to carry the baby to term or abort. For the Orthodox communi- ty, abortion is not an option, Rabbi Zachariash said. An Orthodox woman must carry to the baby to term, and then she and her husband must face the terrible deterioration caused by the disease. In order to prevent such a tragedy, especially among the Orthodox, who Rabbi Zachariash said are -unaware of Tay-Sachs, the proposed screening is being scheduled. "A large majority of people in the religious community are not aware,that the test exists, " he said. Rabbi Zachariash added . that only persons who are planning to be married will learn the results of the test, which will be kept in a cen- tral respository in New York under the auspices of Chevra Dor Yeshorim, an organiza- tion founded by lay persons who lost children to Tay- Sachs. Rabbis advise the organization on halachic questions and physicians are available to handle the medical technicalities. It is unnecessary for single individuals not planning marriage to learn of the results of their blood tests, Rabbi Zachariash said. By giving the information to a carrier, it would give the in- dividual an unnecessary psychological burden to carry around, the rabbi said. The Jan. 15 screening won't be available to married couples. "There's no excuse today for a Tay-Sachs baby to be born, " Dr. Cash said. "It's not much trouble at all to find out you're not at risk." Although there is no treat- ment for Tay-Sachs, Dr. Cash said, "we can keep such a child from being born." He recommended detecting parents at risk as well as babies with the disease as early as possible. "We cannot treat the disease, but we can make sure it never happens." IDF To Investigate Raid On Terrorist Base Tel Aviv — (JTA) — The Israel Defense Force has begun an investigation into last week's commando raid on a Palestinian terrorist base near Beirut, in which one IDF officer was killed and three soldiers wounded. The target was the subter- ranean headquarters of the Popular Front for the Libera- tion of Palestine-General Command near Naameh. The raid was the deepest Israeli penetration into Lebanon since the IDF invaded the country in June 1982. It was promptly condemned by U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz, who remarked that Israel should have learned from its earlier ex- perience that such actions do not work. In Israel, the results were hailed as highly successful, with upwards of 20 terrorists reportedly killed and dozens wounded. Billets and under- ground munitions stores were destroyed. Yet in certain aspects the operation went sour. Israel Radio reported this week that far more aircraft and helicopters than planned had to be used in the operation, with a subsequent rescue re- quiring more improvisation that is normally considered prudent. Shultz was attending a NATO meeting in Brussels when news of the Israeli raid reached him. He said it "sur- prised" him. The White House also criticized the raid. "We deplore violence," spokesman Marlin Fitzwater said. "We encourage countries not to engage in these types of ac- tivities." The special investigatory committee named by the IDF high command will look into why four soldiers were left behind when the main body of the commando force was ex- tricated by helicopter. Although a second helicop- ter rescue operation was suc-