By Megan Castiel Not all Jewish people are alike; we come from many nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures yet we’re all connected by history and interestingly: genetics. To many, it’s not enough to say you’re “Jewish.” They ask where you are from, whether you’re Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Mizrahim, or the many other modern Jewish ethnicities. But where

by Dena Winchester   Middle school is difficult for any and all children; it is a time of great change, confusion, and maturation. Sixth grade was especially torturous for me, as that was the year that I was diagnosed with lipodystrophy—a medical condition that essentially robbed me of all my fat cells, leaving me to

by Ben Suster   My decision to get screened by JScreen was a simple one to make. The instant I heard a representative from JScreen speak at the 2016 Chabad JLI Retreat, the decision was practically made for me. I have a Bachelor of Science in biotechnology from the University of Central Florida and, in

by Dena Winchester If you are a comic book dweeb, as I am not, you will know that Bruce Wayne chose the name ‘Batman’ because we was afraid of bats as a child, and chose to use his greatest phobia against his enemies. This is probably the most commendable thing I’ve ever heard, and I’m

The world is an ever-expanding place. A new discovery is made every day. We are subjected to what some may call information overload.  Here is what we do know: 80% of babies with genetic diseases are born to parents with no known family history of that disease. We also know that education and awareness bring

by Shira Kohan   As a Persian Jew, we are known for many things: our delicious tahdig and kabob, our perfection of the art of taarof, and of course, our magical healing powers of chai ba’ nabat (tea and rock sugar). However, one thing Persian Jews are definitely not known for is our willingness to

by Kevin Levine A lot of people have bucket lists. I often see posts detailing friends achieving things on their lists. They might include a description and some pictures of their accomplishments. I never had a huge bucket list. When I was a child my bucket list was 2 items long.  The first item on the

JScreen mourns the loss of our friend and fellow Jewish genetic disease activist, Randy Yudenfriend Glaser. Randy cofounded the Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium after giving birth to two children, Lauren and Jonathan, who are living with Mucolipidosis Type IV (ML4), a devastating and life-threatening Jewish genetic disease. Randy’s mission was to educate the community about

by Shari Ungerleider When I gave birth to my first child, Evan, in August of 1994, my husband and I were elated. After nine long months of anticipation we were finally blessed with a beautiful baby. We joyfully watched Evan grow and develop normally for the next six months; he was such a happy baby, always

You would never know the struggles that Michelle K endured to have her beautiful, blonde, 6-year old twin girls by her side. She looks calm, happy, and seemingly has it all together. On the contrary, the road to motherhood was anything but easy for Michelle. Michelle was plagued by fertility issues, and after 5 rounds