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Everything You Need to Know about Jewish Genetic Carrier Screening {with JScreen}

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Here at Smashing The Glass, we’re passionate about genetic carrier screening. If you’ve started thinking about growing your family, it’s something you might have heard of. You may even have considered getting screened yourself. But we’re well aware that the process can seem intimidating, expensive, and scary. It doesn’t have to be any of those things, though! Knowing whether you’re a carrier for any genetic diseases – and what your options are going forward if it turns out you are – is actually really empowering!
 
That’s why I’m so excited to tell you that this Thursday, July 28, at 10:00 am PDT / 1:00 pm EDT / 6:00 pm BST, I’ll be chatting on Instagram @yourjewishlife with Emily Goldberg, a genetic counselor at JScreen, a US-based not-for-profit at-home education and carrier screening program for Jewish genetic diseases.
 
Emily Goldberg, genetic counselor at JScreen
Karen will be speaking with JScreen genetic counselor Emily Goldberg

GET EMPOWERED

Over the past couple of years, we’ve had some informative, empowering conversations with members of the JScreen team about what JScreen does, how genetic carrier screening works, and what all this might mean for you. We wanted to make sure all the newly engaged couples are able to benefit, so we’re bringing Emily in to give us a refresher, plus fill us in on recent updates. 

JScreen‘s mission is to give individuals and families easy access to information convenient home testing at a reasonable price point. Screening for over 200 genetic diseases – including those that are commonly found in Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi Jewish populations – is performed by a certified laboratory and results are reviewed and reported to participants by genetic counselors, so if it turns out you are a carrier for a disease, your counselor will be there to talk you through the options (and there ARE options!).

LEARN ALL ABOUT IT

Emily will be addressing a range of topics including the following:
  • What is genetic carrier screening?
  • Who should consider genetic carrier screening?
  • What diseases does JScreen test for?
  • How accurate are the results?
  • Is it worth testing through JScreen if I’ve already done genetic carrier screening?
  • How much does JScreen cost? How does it work with insurance?
  • How does JScreen’s process work?
  • What are the next steps if a couple finds out they are carriers for a disease?

GET TESTED

If you decide to go forward with genetic testing through JScreen, you’ll also be eligible for an $50 discount as a Smashing The Glass reader – just use the code “Smashing22”

While JScreen only covers testing in the United States, this Instagram Live will include general information about genetic screening that’s relevant to individuals and couples anywhere in the world.

Emily will be answering all your questions live, so if there’s anything you want to know about Jewish genetic screening in general or JScreen’s offerings in particular, ask away!

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How to Handle Wedding Planning Stress, Anxiety, or Overwhelm {Instagram Live Recap with Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J}

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Who’s having a hard time with wedding planning stress or overwhelm right now? ???? If that’s you, my latest Instagram live is an absolute must-watch. 

I spoke with the wonderful Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J, all about how to handle wedding stress, overwhelm, and anxiety – not to mention all those (often unwanted) opinions!

Michelle is the ultimate Jewish wedding planning expert, and I love sharing her knowledge and expertise with you. A London-based planner focusing on destination Jewish weddings – both abroad and in the UK – she’s passionate about creating magical experiences for couples and their families and guests.

Chloe and Danny‘s Tuscan Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by David Bastianoni

All About Overwhelm 

In this Live, Michelle and I talk through some easily actionable tips to make your wedding planning as fun and stress-free as possible. We opened the discussion with a focus on wedding overwhelm – something that very often comes up when Michelle first speaks with her couples. It’s especially common at the beginning of a couple’s wedding planning journey, but even all the way through overwhelm can be a big issue.

Michelle shared some great tips on how to deal:

Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint – it’s true there’s a lot involved in planning a wedding, but no one’s expecting you to do it all at once.

Michelle also recommends that before you get started you sit down and have a conversation with your partner about what sort of wedding you really want and what your priorities are. The clearer a picture you have of what you’re aiming for, the easier it will be to figure out next steps and make choices. 

Jewish wedding Osea Island, Essex, UK_0041

Jasmin and Brett‘s Osea Island UK Jewish wedding, planned by Michelle! Photo by Claudine Hartzel

Getting Clear on Your Priorities

In terms of figuring out what it is that the two of you want – Michelle strongly believes that every wedding should reflect the couple behind it, so she’s a big supporter of looking inward before you look outward. First have a think about what you two like to do, what your home is like, what your ideal day out would be, and after you’ve done that start looking at Instagram, Pinterest, Smashing The Glass’s real wedding archives etc. 

Some things to think about: Do you want a country or city wedding? Small or large? Local or destination? Casual or formal? Ballroom or barn? Those are the big-picture issues. You’ll also need to have a sense of how much you want to spend so you won’t waste your time looking at vendors and venues that are out of your price range – or a venue that’s the wrong size for your crowd. It’s smart to share this vision with your family upfront and get everyone on the same page before you dive into planning. 

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Instagram Live Recap: Handbags to Hold Your Jewish Life {with Designer Sharon Wilkes}

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I’m delighted to share with you my latest Instagram Live with the wonderful Sharon Wilkes, an incredibly talented handbag designer with awesome new line of bridal handbags – plus some truly fabulous Jewish-themed bags!

https://sharonwilkes.com/collections/allbagsview/products/jerusalem-marilyn

Jerusalem Marilyn Bag | Photo © Tony Powell

She’s filling a much-needed gap with her show-stopping bags with a personal touch.

Tel Aviv Tote (email or DM Sharon to order) | Photo © Tony Powell

A committed Zionist, Sharon’s a longtime supporter of Shenkar College in Israel, and she’s worked with some up-and-coming young talents from Shenkar on some of her designs.

Gold Brocade Marian Bag | Photo © Andrew Werner

A Smashing Beginning

Sharon and I first connected when we featured her daughter Micaela’s wedding on Smashing The Glass – Sharon designed and sewed Micaela’s beautiful gown, and also crafted this adorable custom bridal bag for her featuring the couple’s beloved beagle Loki recreated in sequins! Though Sharon’s long worked in fashion, it was that Loki bag that inspired her to get into bridal bags in a big way – and I’m so in awe of what she’s accomplished! 

Destination-Jewish-Wedding-at-the-Great-Synagogue-of-Rome-and-the-St-Regis-Rome-Italy

Micaela and Zac’s Jewish wedding | Photo © David Bastianoni

All in the Family

We chatted about Sharon’s incredible family story working in couture in Vienna before the war – and how her grandparents’ Italian fashion contacts helped them escape Austria in 1939. 

 Tel Aviv Marilyn Bag | © Tony Powell

Quality Construction

Then we got to see some bags! I’m absolutely obsessed with Sharon’s sparkly Tel Aviv evening bag – and the quality and craftsmanship is absolutely exquisite. All of Sharon’s bags are manufactured ethically in Italy, and the level of workmanship is just beyond. 

Jerusalem Tote (email or DM Sharon to order) | Photo © Tony Powell

Sharon showed us some of the details that really show the quality of her bags, and it’s just incredible. I also love her commitment to working with factories that treat their employees well and pay them fairly – such a rare thing in today’s world, but so important.

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How to Handle Wedding Planning Stress, Anxiety, or Overwhelm {Instagram Live with Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J}

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Before you got engaged, you probably figured that wedding planning would be a pretty exciting stage in your life. But what you might not have expected is that it can also be extremely stressful. Between family drama, financial struggles, overflowing to-do lists, and good old decision overwhelm, there’s an awful lot to manage. 

But if wedding planning is starting to feel more like a source of anxiety than anything else, it doesn’t have to be that way! And that’s why I’m thrilled to be going live on Instagram this Tuesday, March 29, at 8 pm BST / 3 pm EDT / 12 pm PDT with one of the very best wedding planners around, Michelle Jacobs of Elegante by Michelle J, who’ll be sharing her best tips and tricks for handling wedding stress and overwhelm and talk us through some of the most common challenges facing engaged couples.

We’ll also be giving away an incredible prize to one lucky viewer tuning in live: a 1-hour inspiration session with Michelle, plus 3 months of complimentary membership in Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club! This is truly an incredible value – so do plan on watching live if you can!

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Handbags to Hold Your Jewish Life {Instagram Live with Designer Sharon Wilkes}

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 One thing I’m absolutely loving these days is the burgeoning Jewish design scene, with mega-talented Jewish designers bringing their Jewish pride to the forefront. And I’ll be going live on Instagram this Wednesday, December 15, at 8 pm GMT / 3 pm EST / 12 pm PST with one of the most exciting voices, Sharon Wilkes, handbag designer extraordinaire and proud Jewish bubbe – who’s committed to designing ethical, top quality handbags that fit right into your Jewish life!

Photo © Tony Powell

It was only natural that Sharon became a designer – her Jewish family’s got a long history in the business, going all the way back to pre-war Vienna – and equally natural that her Judaism plays a huge role in her work. 

Photo © Andrew Werner

Now with a fabulous new line of luxury handbags, Sharon’s got some fantastic out-and-proud Jewish pieces in her collection – among them crystal evening bags graced with the skylines of Tel Aviv or Jerusalem! – and she’s also working on a fantastic series honoring great Jewish American women (the first of which featured none other than RBG)!

Photo © Tony Powell

Sharon will be chatting about how her Judaism influences her work, showing us some of her fabulous handbags live, and she’ll also talk us through how she sources the highest-quality materials and finest Italian artisans to ethically manufacture each one of her gorgeous pieces.

Photo © Andrew Werner

We’ll also be chatting about Sharon’s line of bridal handbags, perfect for brides and mothers-of-the-bride (or groom) to tote their essentials during the wedding festivities and to cherish as special mementos for ever after – or bring out for subsequent swanky events as a sweet reminder of your day. Sharon can even do bespoke keepsake handbags incorporating the lace from your gown or whatever else you like – like your beloved pet (see below)!

Photo © Andrew Werner

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