Colorado Indians, Jews share genetic marker

Published on May 30, 2012

Israeli geneticists have linked a Native American population in Colorado to Jews expelled from Spain during the Inquisition.

Genetic research can open book on Jewish identity—for good and bad

By Adam Wills
Published on December 11, 2008

Critics fear that Jewish genetic research also opens a Pandora's box. The discovery of a shared genetic marker among men who claim to be descended from Kohanim grew into wild, exaggerated claims in the media that geneticists had confirmed the story of Aaron

Researcher tracing Jewish genes meets the Kohanim of Africa [VIDEO]

Published on August 20, 2008

Dr. David B. Goldstein from Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy talks about tracking the genetic history of the ancient Jewish priesthood (kohanim) and the Lost Tribe of Israel, the focus of his new book, "Jacob's Legacy".

VIDEO: Duke professor searches for ‘kohanim’ genetic marker

Published on July 21, 2008

Dr. David B. Goldstein from Duke's Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy talks about tracking the genetic history of the ancient Jewish priesthood (kohanim) and the Lost Tribes of Israel, the focus of his news book, "Jacob's Legacy"

Gene test kits—can they lead to dating services?

By Annalee Newitz
Published on February 21, 2008

The question I keep asking about home genomics kits is whether they're any worse than, say, parts of the self-help industry. Both promise to fix people by making vague pronouncements based on a little science mixed with a lot of rank speculation.

Tzedakah or genetics?  Hebrew University identifies possible ‘generosity gene’

By JewishJournal.com
Published on December 11, 2007

[VIDEO] If Baruch Obama and Dick Cheney are cousins, what about us?

By The Web Guy
Published on October 23, 2007

VIDEO: More on Jewish genetics—we are family!

By The Web Guy
Published on September 1, 2007

Are Jews smarter? And non-Jews—not so much?

By The Web Guy
Published on August 28, 2007

Many With Gaucher Unaware of Disease

By Andrea Waxman
Published on December 1, 2005

Gaucher is sufficiently rare that many doctors weren't and still aren't aware of it. And when LaBelle was diagnosed, "they were just doing research, and there was not a glimmer of hope" for a treatment, she said

You Are What You Eat

By Howard Nemetz
Published on January 6, 2005

I am a vegetarian. I know there was a big controversy brewing over kosher meat, but I'm not sure what the Jewish position

on vegetarianism is. I suppose as long as the vegetables are pulled from the ground in a quick and humane manner, no one can object too strenuously to it. I know God created animals, but I can't imagine He'd be offended if I didn't eat them. I'd hate to think of God pouting in His room saying, between sobs, "I worked so hard on that lamb and Nemetz doesn't even touch it!"

Alcohol Dependency Not in Our Genes

By Donna Abrahams
Published on May 6, 2004

A new study suggests that genes, not religion, may help explain why Jews generally have fewer problems with alcohol than Caucasians in general do.

Muscular Disorder Won’t Stop Siblings

By Nancy Sokoler Steiner
Published on November 21, 2002

As young adults, brothers Babak and Daniel Darvish, born less than two years apart, were avid athletes, music lovers and medical students who planned to become surgeons.

The Art of the Matter

By Sharon Schatz Rosenthal
Published on October 3, 2002

When artist Ted Meyer was first diagnosed with Gaucher disease, a lipid-storage disorder that is the most common genetic disease affecting Jews of Eastern European descent, he used his artistic talents to express his pain.

The Cost of Boycott

By Bonnie Lipton
Published on August 29, 2002

For some time, Dr. Eitan Galun, the head of Hadassah Medical Organization's Goldyne Savad Gene Therapy Institute, has been engaged in research to cure a genetic disease prevalent in the Palestinian community. He recently requested genetic material from a Norwegian scientist and was refused. "Due to the present situation in the Middle East, I will not deliver any material to an Israelitic (sic) university," she responded by e-mail. With this statement, she engaged in nothing less than a boycott of Israel and its scientists. By her actions, which confuse science with politics, the Palestinian population will needlessly continue to suffer from a disease that could be cured through scientific cooperation. This irony seems to have escaped the Norwegian researcher.

The Neurobiology of Teshuvah

Published on October 5, 2000

As a scientist and a believer in human progress, I have been concerned about how well the established process of teshuvah (repentance) has worked. Yom Kippur after Yom Kippur - in fact, since the 11th century - we have recited the same confessional prayer, "Al Chet." If we were any good at repentance, shouldn't the list have changed in 1,000 years? Even if we don't want to change the ancient formula, shouldn't we be able to feel that we had eliminated or reduced at least a few on the list? Yet the list of sins remains the same, as does the ritual for expunging them. Why haven't we improved?