Judy Weiss, RNC had been in nursing for most of her life. She had a stable job, a good salary, and a predictable routine.
All of that changed when Weiss founded A Jewish Blessing in 2005 after helping a friend find an egg donor.
“I was working at a job that I loved. I was basically going into a job with no salary, no nothing, (but) I left my job,” said Weiss. “It was a great decision. We’ve had over 150 babies born.”
A Jewish Blessing is an organization run by nurses, matching Jewish egg donors with families hoping to have a child.
“I knew a woman who … kept saying you know, Judy, there are a lot of couples that need your help,’” said Weiss. “Her acupuncturist started to leak her name out to other families. I started to say yes to these private patients.”
Jewish egg donation gives families a sense of connection to know that their child comes from the same ethnic background that they do, and it also effects many women’s decisions when it comes to in vitro fertilization.
“When you think about how the Jewish People evolved, there’s a certain genetic component to the religion,” said Rani Kratzok, who used IVF to conceive her son. “If we had to choose a donor, religion is probably one of the things you can ask along with other characteristics. It’s great that women have that option.”
Of course, donation isn’t for everyone.
“Young women need to be well-educated and think about it carefully,” said Weiss. “Every young woman who contacts us, we need to help them make their right choice.”
After seeing a flyer for egg donors, blogger Leah Berkenwald called her doctor to discuss the option.
“Within about five minutes, he had convinced me that this was something I would never do,” said Berkenwald on the Jewish Women’s Archive blog, Jewesses with Attitude. “Egg donation is no small matter. The procedure is incredibly invasive and there is a risk that it could leave you infertile … No thank you. Not even for 40 grand.”
There is also debate as to whether a child must come from a Jewish woman’s egg in order to be Jewish. A Jewish Blessing follows Orthodox interpretations of Jewish law that maintain that the egg donor must be Jewish, but not all streams of Judaism agree.
“Traditional Judaism would say yes, you should get your eggs from a Jewish woman, but the Reform Movement took a stance about 20 years ago about the status of a child when the mom isn’t Jewish,” said Rabbi Billy Dreskin of Woodlands Community Temple in White Plains, New York. “If either parent is Jewish and the child is raised Jewishly, the child is Jewish.”
For these reasons among others, Jewish egg donors are hard to find. “Jewish egg donors are some of the most sought-after donors in the U.S.,” according to the Baltimore Jewish Times. “The combination of high infertility rates and few fully Jewish donors means that some couples may have to sit on waiting lists for months or more.”
For many Jewish families, knowing that their eggs come from a Jewish donor is rare.
“There were very few Jewish women donating eggs,” said Weiss. “There were certain groups more willing to donate eggs than others.”
For Weiss, the belief that she’s doing the right thing has kept her going.
“I’m not a business woman,” said Weiss. “I never wanted a private practice. It’s very humbling to be asked to do the work I’m doing .”
To find a donor or figure out how to donate your eggs, call 707-922-6366, email info@ajewishblessing.com, or Skype heyjude4682.
Nicole Zelniker is a student at Guilford College.
