Tell Us: Have You Been Tested for the BRCA Mutations?
Tell us about your encounters with genetic testing.
In Hania, Crete—a Town With No Jewish Presence—a Synagogue Thrives
During the mid 19th century, the island’s Jewish population reached 900, but after much emigration, by World War II only around 300 Jews were left, all in Hania.
This Holiday Season, Our ‘Ask the Rabbis’ Editor Looks Back
With the High Holidays on the horizon—and with the current political climate in mind—we asked our “Ask the Rabbis” editor to reflect on some of her favorite pieces of rabbinical wisdom.
Ask The Rabbis | What Is the Most Important High Holidays Prayer?
An especially insightful prayer is Hayom Harat Olam, said after the shofar is blown at the Rosh Hashanah Musaf (afternoon) service: “Today the world is conceived.” It’s a liturgical call to stay open to the pregnant possibilities in this world.
This Yom Kippur, an Alphabet of Transgressions
On the High Holy Days, we confess to offenses ranging from A for “arrogance” to Z for “zeal for bad causes.” The message is clear: We make mistakes beginning with every letter of the alphabet.
Sephardi Jews Need Genetic Testing, Too
For the Jewish community, perhaps the biggest success story in genetic testing is Tay-Sachs: The disease is carried by one in 27 Ashkenazi Jews (who come from Eastern Europe), and nearly always has been fatal. Today, among Ashkenazi Jewish populations, it has been almost entirely eradicated.
The BRCA2 Male Minority
Matt Diamond is a 39-year-old financial planner whose sister happens to be an amateur genealogist. After creating a family tree for a school homework assignment, she was hooked and spent the next 25 years digging into her family’s Ashkenazi roots. In 2014, she sent a saliva sample to a genetic testing company, hoping to find more family members through their DNA database. She was shocked when the test identified her as a carrier for the BRCA2 mutation, a fact later confirmed by her medical doctor.
A Daughter of a Male BRCA2 Carrier
Michelle Wilson was dealt an unexpected hand: Her father had breast cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk for men is one in 1,000. In 2006, Michelle’s father reached for his seatbelt and felt an excruciating pain through his arm and left breast. At 52, he was diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer
The Role of a Genetic Counselor
I truly believe in the old adage that “knowledge is power.” When a couple finds that one or both carries a genetic mutation, this will likely change their perspective on family planning. Although this information might be hard to swallow, in my experience couples are happy that they are empowered with information that makes it possible to make sound decisions about their future.
Fighting Cancer One Day at a Time
For 69-year-old New Jersey native Rona Greenberg, cancer has always been a constant. Her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 37 and passed away six years later, when Rona was 19 years old. In 1997, just three years after the BRCA genes 1 and 2 mutations were identified, Rona and her three sisters participated in a clinical study for high-risk Ashkenazi women.
Five Sisters & the BRCA Gene
“It was good I got cancer,” says Cynthia Kimball. “I thought these kinds of things happened to other people and not to me. I thought I was invincible.”
Genetic Testing Can Change Your Life
Soon after Danielle “Dee-Dee” Shiller turned 40, her best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer. Then Shiller, a gynecologist and osteopath, learned that a large Jewish family in her Baltimore practice carried the BRCA gene mutation but had no history of breast cancer.