About the JGDC

The Jewish Genetic Disease Consortium (JGDC) increases awareness about Jewish genetic diseases (JGDs) and encourages timely and appropriate genetic screening for all persons of Jewish heritage.

The JGDC is comprised of an alliance of not-for-profit organizations sharing a common goal of combating Jewish genetic diseases. While each JGDC member organization has its own individual mission, the JGDC unites these organizations so that we may jointly strengthen public education and awareness and urge appropriate genetic screening for all persons of Jewish heritage, whether Ashkenazi, Mizrahi or Sephardic.

Through its Medical Grand Rounds Program, Clergy Education Program, and Jewish Community Program, the JGDC educates physicians, rabbis and Jews of all backgrounds about JGDs, to increase genetic screening rates and understanding of the reproductive options available to decrease the incidence of Jewish genetic diseases and lead to healthier Jewish families.

Ashkenazi Jewish Genetic Diseases

  • Bloom’s Syndrome (BS)
  • Canavan Disease
  • Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
  • Familial Dysautonomia (FD)
  • Familial Hyperinsulinism
  • Fanconi Anemia Type C
  • Gaucher Disease Type 1
  • Glycogen Storage Disorder Type 1A (GSD 1A)
  • Joubert Syndrome Type 2
  • Lipoamide Dehydrogenase Deficiency (E3)
  • Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD)
  • Mucolipidosis Type 4 (ML4)
  • Nemaline Myopathy
  • Niemann-Pick Disease Type A
  • Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
  • Tay-Sachs Disease
  • Usher Syndrome Type 3
  • Usher Syndrome Type I
  • Walker Warburg Syndrome (WWS)

Sephardic/Mizrahi Jewish Genetic Diseases

  • Alpha-Thalassemia
  • Ataxia Telangiectasia
  • Beta-Thalassemia
  • Corticosterone Methyloxidase Type II Deficiency
  • Costeff Optical Atrophy
  • Cystic Fibrosis (CF)
  • Familial Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  • Familial Mediterranean Fever
  • Familial Tumoral Calcinosis (Normophosphatemic Type)
  • Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydogenase Deficiency (G6PD)
  • Inclusion Body Myopathy 2
  • Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2B
  • Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD)
  • Polyglandular Deficiency Syndrome
  • Pseudocholinesterase Deficiency
  • Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
  • Wolman Disease