As We Engage in Mirth of Tu b’Av, Remember the Importance of Genetic Testing

As Jews, we don’t have many light-hearted holidays, but this week we’ll celebrate one of them, Tu b’Av. Casually known as the Jewish Valentine’s Day, Tu b’Av is the counterbalance to the most difficult of all our holidays, Tisha b’Av, which just passed.

While we fast and remember all of our hardships and trials during Tisha b’Av, this week, beginning at sunset Thursday, we will engage in mirth, and celebrate love and joy. Many will wed and many, according to Jewish lore, will meet their matches on Tu b’Av.

But as with all Jewish holidays, this one still must come with a warning, albeit one deeply rooted in modernity.

As young Jews meet their mates and consider marriage, they should be told about the importance of undergoing carrier screening for Jewish genetic diseases, and act on it. Read the rest of this entry…

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