A Tay-Sachs Prevention Program has been established to detect the incidence of Tay-Sachs disease among the Jewish population of Greater Boston, through the support of the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. An advance of $30,000 from the Combined Jewish Philanthropies enabled the program to start quickly in the fall of 1973. and provided the stimulus for other foundations to give financial support to the program. Two major contributions have already been received from both a Jewish and a non-sectarian foundation.
More than 1700 persons have been tested in the program’s first three screenings, held in various suburban Boston communities. Results so far show a carrier rate of about one in 30 among individuals who had no prior knowledge of the disease in their families. Three additional screenings are planned for this spring, at which another 800 persons are expected to be treated. The Tay-Sachs Prevention Program is sponsored jointly by CJP, the Beth Israel Hospital (a CJP constituent agency), and the Tay-Sachs Foundation of New England, along with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center and the Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Primarily directed towards Jewish couples between the ages of 18 and 40, the prevention program aims to provide information about Tay-Sachs disease, conduct monthly screenings, and offer counseling for carriers. Directors of the program are Dr. Edwin H. Kolodny, assistant neurologist at the Massachusetts General Hospital and senior investigator at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, and Dr. Allen Crocker, director of the Child Development Evaluation Clinic at the Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
