This Thursday, December 31st, Dor Yeshorim will be conducting a mass genetic screening event for young men at the Yeshiva Ketana Hall in Lakewood, New Jersey from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Open to the entire community, this event will provide hundreds of young men with the opportunity to take one of the most critical tests of their lives.

Dor Yeshorim, a pioneering organization dedicated to preventing genetic diseases, is endorsed by Gedolim, Rabbanim and community leaders worldwide. It has been screening thousands of Jewish young men and women across a broad spectrum of communities for more than 30 years. This year, more than 22,000 individuals were screened by Dor Yeshorim in 11 countries around the globe. This vital organization’s tremendous work has helped protect the health of Klal Yisroel’s families.

Dor Yeshorim is the entity responsible for the complete elimination of Tay Sachs and many other debilitating diseases from our community. In fact, thousands of young men and women today walk down to their chuppahs with peace of mind because of Dor Yeshorim’s support. They are comforted in knowing that their children will be spared from the hereditary diseases that have previously affected so many Jewish families.

Since its founding in 1983, more than 400,000 boys and girls of marriageable age have joined the Dor Yeshorim program. The screening process is quick and simple. After taking the blood test, each person is given an identification number. This 9 digit combination is the sole way they are identified throughout the entire shidduch process.
The truth is most of us take Dor Yeshorim for granted. The simple, quick and relatively inexpensive blood test has become a rite of passage, the hallmark of entering the next stage in life.

But thirty years ago, Rabbi Eckstein, Dor Yeshorim’s founder, lost 4 children to the ravages of Tay Sachs because a system to ensure two carriers of the same disease would not marry had not yet been developed. Determined that no other parent would ever live through similar horrors, Rabbi Eckstein devoted his life to researching and developing a Jewish genetic screening program for the masses.

Dor Yeshorim spares no cost in its mission to safeguard the health of future generations. This organization spends millions of dollars to continually conduct the most extensive and innovative genetic research. As it discovers new genetic diseases and mutations, Dor Yeshorim invests its resources to ensure it can adequately protect Klal Yisroel’s future generations.

Yet Dor Yeshorim understands and stresses the importance of being able to provide its lifesaving services to families at a highly subsidized rate. Dor Yeshorim only charges participants one small fee to cover the costs of the initial screening. With an annual budget of several million dollars, this nominal fee only covers roughly 30 percent of Dor Yeshorim’s total yearly expenses.

As such, Dor Yeshorim relies on the generous donations of caring supporters from around the world; like-minded individuals who join us in our quest to conquer genetic diseases and prevent untold heartache.

Dor Yeshorim is meticulous in upholding the utmost confidentiality of those it tests in an effort to protect the integrity of Jewish families. This enables them to ensure the peace of mind of thousands of young couples. It also reduces the occurrences of unnecessary heartache and social stigmas associated with being a carrier of genetic disease.

Not only is Dor Yeshorim the leading organization in premarital genetic testing, it also assists hundreds of families each year whose children are currently affected by rare genetic diseases. Dor Yeshorim is the pillar of support, providing guidance and assistants, holding these families’ hands along every step of the way. Its dedicated team works together with each family to painstakingly identify its genetic mutation. These devoted individuals then develop reliable testing protocols to ensure that preventative measures are put in place to safeguard the health of their future children.

Throughout the last two weeks of December, hundreds of young women in schools around Lakewood have been given the chance to join the Dor Yeshorim program. And right now, Dor Yeshorim is encouraging all young men who have not yet been tested to get tested at this week’s young men’s screening drive, this Thursday, December 31st, from 6:00 – 8:00 pm.

Dor Yeshorim’s early testing helps so many members of our communities circumvent last minute expenses and potential heartache. For more information, please contact Dor Yeshorim: 718-384-6060, email [email protected] or visit doryeshorim.org.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)