“It is wise to disclose what cannot be concealed.” – Johann Friedrich Von Schiller

Dor Yeshorim (DY) is devoted to minimizing the incidence of lethal genetic disorders prevalent in the Jewish population. DY tests for nine autosomal recessive traits. To safeguard young adults from psychological and social stigma of carrier status, the system is anonymous, and the results of the screening are not released. When two screened individuals are considering marriage, they provide their designated identification codes. If both are carriers for the same disorder, they are advised against marrying. They are not told what disease they carry. The organization used to advise against marriage when both were carriers for Gaucher's disease. Currently therapy has dramatically improved the prognosis for children with this disease. DY still tests for Gaucher, but unless specifically requested by the couple, it does not inform the pair of the carrier status. DY argues that its goal is to prevent fatal diseases. The principles of autonomy and beneficence suggest that DY has an ethical obligation to inform couples when both are carriers. The organization takes a paternalistic stance in denying couples the ability to make informed decisions regarding mate selection and reproductive choices. Treatment with enzyme replacement therapy is costly and not always successful. Children with Gaucher's disease benefit when they are identified and treated early. Being aware of the risk, allows parents to test their children and/or watch for early symptoms. Finally, new reproductive technologies make it possible for couples who carry the trait to have healthy children, but they must know about their risk before conceiving a child.