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Rutgers Hillel and the OU-Jewish Learning Initiative on Campus began its "Wellness Weeks at Rutgers Hillel" series with a Jan. 26 information session on Jewish genetic testing. The series, which runs until Feb. 15, features several topics that promote health and wellness.

The event featured Rabbi Yisroel Porath, JLIC rabbi at Rutgers Hillel and Laura Carpiniello, a genetic counselor from the New York University-Langone Medical Center, which sponsors Jewish genetic testing on different college campuses across New York and New Jersey.

"We will be running an information session about the importance of genetic screening within the Jewish Ashkenazi community and the Jewish community at large," said Malka Sasson, coordinator of the Human Genetics Program at NYU.

Rutgers junior and Health and Wellness Weeks coordinator Jenny Greenblum believes that genetic testing is "extremely important."

"It's an extremely important thing to discuss among Jews because [genetic diseases are] so prevalent -- one in four are carriers," Greenblum said. "We want to make sure that people are completely aware of the diseases and take any precaution that they can by getting tested. Everyone should know as much as they can about it."

Carpiniello told The Jewish State that there are 12 diseases commonly found in Jews of both Ashkenazi and Sephardic heritage, including Tay-Sachs disease and Cystic Fibrosis. She reviewed the various symptoms for each disease.

"The screening is offered to Ashkenaz Jewry because these diseases are more frequent in that population," Carpiniello said. "They are recessive conditions; both parents must have one copy of the mutation in order to have an effect on the child."

Carpiniello detailed how some of the diseases affect the child, including neurological, metabolically, and higher risks of cancer. A child of two carriers has a 25-percent chance of inheriting one of the 12 diseases.

Carpiniello also said "there are options for those who are both carriers and want to have children as well," including a method of in vitro fertilization that tests the embryo for genetic diseases before it is implanted it the womb.

Porath was preparing to deliver a lecture on Jewish law's perspective on issues involved with genetic screening. He said that one of the most important of these issues was abortion.

"Should someone who's pregnant realize that her fetus is carrying Tay Sachs, her conclusion may be an abortion, and that is a serious thing in Jewish law," Porath said. "Abortion is only allowed in extreme cases."

One of the preventative measures that some Jews may choose to take is to prevent people who are carriers from meeting each other to avoid these issues.

"In people who are dating for marriage, it's important they get tested so that they won't increase the risk of meeting another carrier," Porath said.

For couples who are already married, Porath said that there are medical interventions that can be done according to Jewish law.

Porath's other concern was the issue of confidentiality for those who are carriers of a genetic disease.

"People who are uneducated may assume that a gene is the disease itself, so people can often be labeled and a potential spouse may be reluctant to marry someone because they don't know the difference," Porath said. "So it's very important to keep these things confidential."

The information session will be followed up by genetic testing on Feb. 10 at Rutgers. Those students with Aetna/US Healthcare, Signa, GHI, Empire BC/BS, Empire Plan, HJealthnet, Local 1199, Horizon of New York, Horizon of New Jersey, Multiplan, Oxford, and United Healthcare insurance plans are covered for the $1,800 genetic screening test. The test involves drawing blood and a 15-minute meeting with a genetic counselor. Results will be sent three to four weeks after the screening.

The Jewish genetic testing information session is the first in a series of "Health and Halacha (Jewish law)" series at Rutgers Hillel. Other programs in the series include:

• Organ donation according to Jewish law with the Halachic Organ Donor Society on Jan. 29, 8 p.m. at Rutgers Hillel, 93 College Ave., New Brunswick;

• Healthy Relationships with Rabbi Dr. John Krug on Feb. 2, 8 p.m. in the Raritan River Lounge, 613 George St., New Brunswick;

• Healthy Minds with Fran Ackerman, LCSW on Feb. 4, 8 p.m. at Rutgers Hillel;

• Genetic testing on Feb. 10, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Rutgers Hillel; Women's Health and Halacha (for women only) with Dr. Talia Rosenzweig, ob-gyn, and Atara Eis, yoetzet halacha (Orthodox female halacha advisor), 8 p.m. at Rutgers Hillel.