Rabbis' Corner

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The following letters, sermons, essays and comments relating to Canavan disease or other Jewish genetic diseases have been contributed by various rabbis. For guidelines on submitting material to this page, click the "submit materials" link above.


A Message from Peter E. Kasdan
Peter E. Kasdan
The fight to eliminate Jewish genetic diseases has been a major focus of Rabbi Peter E. Kasdan, chairman of the new Canavan Foundation Rabbinic Advisory Committee. Rabbi Kasdan insisted that all couples married by him be tested before their wedding day—initially for Tay Sachs disease and then, as new tests became available, for additional Jewish genetic diseases. Rabbi Kasdan retired in June, 2002 after thirty years at Temple Emanu-El of West Essex in Livingston, NJ. He spoke with us recently from his home in Florida about his new association with the Canavan Foundation.
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A Yizkor Sermon: "Therefore, Choose Life"
Rabbi Jeffrey Gale, The Suburban Temple, Wantaugh, New York
More and more these days, I find myself thinking about a particular childhood acquaintance who was afflicted with Canavan's Disease. Many people at the time thought it was a severe case of Cerebral Palsy. Sarah (not her real name) wore leg braces, never learned to walk or talk, and had to be carried everywhere. Her parents eventually put her in a special home and she died at the age of eleven.
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