Roy Ivo - Your Health 'free Can Be Lifesaver B 14 By MIRIAM WEINER Knowing your family health history could save your life. Researchers are now studying family trees to get to the root of genetic diseases. The value of family medical histories is evident for anyone who has visited a physician or been confined in a hospital. The questions asked immediately after "what's bothering you?" are if your parents are alive or deceased; if the latter, what was the cause of death, followed by questions about the health of brothers and sisters. The cause of death or illness of grandparents is often asked as well. If the roots of your family tree are diseased with such common problems as heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure, cancer, glaucoma, or diabetes, it may be possible for you to take steps to postpone getting the disease or maybe preventing it. By researching your family health tree, you can provide your family with a medical genealogy containing important information about the health history of your ancestors. Many genetic disorders are found to a greater extent among members of certain ethnic groups than in the general population. Fortunately, most genetic diseases are extremely rare. However, there are a few that occur in high frequency to be of concern, and there are inexpensive and effective tests to determine whether you are a carrier. As part of its continuing effort to educate the public, the National Foundation for Jewish Genetic Diseases, Inc. distributes an informative pamphlet describing seven diseases affecting Ashkenazi Jews. The foundation raises funds to disseminate information and sponsor medical research, symposia and publications. For a free copy of the pamphlet and for information on the activities of the NFJGD, write to 250 Park Avenue #1000, New York, NY 10017. Tay-Sachs disease is the most well-known Jewish genetic disease, afflicting about one in every 2,500 Ashkenazi Jewish babies. This disease is characterized by the onset of severe mental and developmental retardation during the early stages of development of a baby or child. It will kill its victim before his or her fifth birthday. Families affected by Tay-Sachs disease may wish to contact: Tay- 1.41 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1992 Sachs Prevention Program, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, (215) 928-8320, or the National Tay-Sachs and Allied Disease's Association, 385 Elliot St., Newton, MA 02164, (617) 964-5508. Genealogists accumulate data about family members from U.S. censuses. Census records from 1850 to 1910 have columns of information pertaining to the physical or mental condition of individuals such as deaf, dumb, blind, insane or idiotic. The 1880 census also has a column indicating any sickness or disability and whether the person was maimed, crippled, bedridden or disabled. In compiling a medical family tree chart, the 1860-1885 mortality schedules can be valuable. These schedules list those who died during the 12 months prior to the census (June 1 through May 31 of 1849, 1859, 1869, 1879, and 1885). Locating these records can be worth the effort. They provide name, age, place of birth, profession, occupation or trade, cause of death and length of illness. Both census and mortality schedules can be found at the National Archives in Washington, D.C., or in its regional branches throughout the country. The March of Dimes provides a family health tree chart. It has places to indicate date of birth, occupation, significant medical conditions or disorders, health- related habits such as smoking and drinking, cause and age of death of family members. To obtain a free Family Health Tree chart, Genetic Counseling booklet, and Family Medical Record/Health History, contact your local chapter of the March of Dimes. Compiling a medical genealogy is a good project for grandparents whose personal knowledge of the family's health history usually spans five generatitons — reaching back to their own grandparents and extending to their grandchildren. The benefits of tracing your family health tree can extend far beyond the medical knowledge gained. It is a good family project. The hours spent looking through old records and jogging family memories can help build a strong feeling of family satisfaction and pride. Most importantly, it will give your descendants something precious that may make a difference in their lives. It is a legacy money cannot buy. Miriam Weiner is a certified genealogist. She can be contacted at 136 Sandpiper Key, Secaucus, N.Y. 07094. It Happens At Midnight . By IRA WISE Writing about what American Jewish families do for Selichot is similar to writing about what they do for Lag B'Omer or Maimunah. Certainly there are those who have family customs that are very rich with meaning. But these are not holidays that have captured the imagination of most American Jews. They are not perceived to have the impact of a Pesach or a Purim. By arriving only four to 11 days prior to the cycle of the High Holy Days — Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah (there are also Shemini Atzeret and Hoshanah Rabbah which also suffer identity crises due to their association with Sukkot ) — it's not hard to see how Selichot sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. Selichot is a part of the Yamim Nora'im, the Days of Awe, which begin on the first day of the Hebrew month of Elul — one full month before Rosh Hashanah. It is a custom of long standing to blow the shofar each day in Elul after the Shacharit (morning) service, except on Shabbat and the day before Rosh Hashanah. The letters of the month of Elul: Aleph Lamed Vav Lamed have been interpreted by some as an anagram for Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li — "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine." Some take this to mean that the month of Elul is a courtship between God and the Families-of- Israel. If the destruction of Tisha B'Av represents an estrangement between God and Israel, Elul is the courtship which is consummated at Rosh Hashanah, with its themes of rebirth and renewal. Selichot are the crescendo of that courtship, the transitional moments. Selichot are literally penitential prayers: we are telling God (and ourselves) that we are sorry and are asking forgiveness for all of our misdeeds and for each time we fell short of the mark during the year. It has become minhag (custom) to begin reciting Selichot at midnight the Saturday night before Rosh Hashanah. If Rosh Hashanah falls on a Sunday through Tuesday, Selichot begin the week previous. This is so that we will have at least four days of this final preparation for the New Year. The central prayer, which is repeated many times during the Selichot service is taken from Sh'mot (Exodus) 24.6-7, and mentions merciful attributes of God. When I was growing up in Chicago, I was barely cognizant of Selichot. Until I was in high school, I wasn't even interested in attending another service — especially with the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur marathons looming in the near future. Then, in my junior year, I joined the temple choir. I was familiar with the High Holy Day tunes, but the cantor started us out on the Selichot, and they were new to me. I think my perception of the Yamim Nora'im as a larger cycle — rather than as two lo-o-ong holidays — began at this point. The words of the prayers we were singing made me think about myself and my deeds of the last year in a way that • was different from my experiences of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The Selichot caught me off guard that year. That year, my family and I had dinner together on Saturday night. This was an unusual occurrence itself. Saturday was the night everyone went out with friends. We went to temple and the rabbi and educator led a variety of study sessions until it was time to begin the service. At midnight we began. My most vivid memory of that experience was not of the Selichot service, but of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services. I paid more attention to the words of the prayers and what they meant to me. It was in that year that I began to really understand what it means to do T'shuvah to return. During Selichot we say we're sorry and we say please forgive us. That year, after the chagim were over, I said thank you. — Ira Wise is temple educator at Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park and author of several books for Jewish schools.