Emunas Chachamim (faith in the sages): A prenatal genetic counseling needs assessment of Orthodox Jewish clergy in Los Angeles

Abstract

The Jewish population's high risk for certain genetic conditions is well established. The Orthodox Jewish community, a denomination of the larger Jewish population, has distinct customs and cultural practices and a complex relationship with Western medicine and medical genetics. Clergy play a central role as stakeholders in the Orthodox Jewish community, and their input often informs key medical decisions for their congregants. Orthodox clergy have a unique structure for advising their community members, which is based on Jewish law. A qualitative research methods study was conducted to learn more about the needs of Orthodox Jewish clergy in the greater Los Angeles area with regard to prenatal genetic testing. The present study aims to understand the function of clergy, cultural implications in genetics care, and ways to improve cooperation between clergy and medical providers. 18 clergy members were recruited to join the study, with a 100% participation rate. Thematic analysis of individual interviews highlighted four major themes: the multitude of roles of clergy; pragmatic testing; a need for mutual respect; and interactions between medical providers and clergy. The existing community infrastructure may be used as the framework to provide a greater awareness of genetic care to this community. Future research should be conducted to explore how to improve interactions between genetic counselors and Orthodox Jewish clergy and the best practices for cultural competency.