BS”D
Dear Friends,
The month of Kislev is synonymous with gratitude, and the Tahareinu team is indeed filled with gratitude for a season of new accomplishments, new knowledge amassed, and new developments underway.
It has been our privilege to make a whirlwind trip to United States after a long hiatus from travelling, and we took full advantage of the wide spectrum of educational, networking, and consulting opportunities.
Every woman, every couple, and every story is unique.
Thank you for sharing yours with us, and trusting us to provide the absolute latest medical solutions in return.
We are also gearing up for our momentous annual fundraising campaign: Tahareinu around the world. We are heartened by your enthusiasm and encourage every one of you to get involved!
Wishing all our readers a Freilichen Chanukah and a healthy winter, the month of Cheshvan, we look back at an incredibly successful Yom Tov season with gratitude and pride.
Yitzchok Melber
Rabbi & Mrs Melber in the US: Highlights & Takeaways
- One of the primary purposes for this trip was the ASRM conference, now once again held in person in Baltimore. Rabbi and Mrs. Melber attended and took note of many new innovations, particularly in infertility.
- Rabbi Melber also delivered a lecture for Rabbanim in Rabbi Berger’s shul in Baltimore, arranged by the Vaad Rabbanei Baltimore. The session lasted several hours, with valuable messages for the venerable attendees.
- He also met individually with a number of couples and had a chance to review their circumstances and provide updated guidance.
- On Thursday, October 21, Rabbi Melber and staff met with Dr. Scott Chudnoff, Chair of OB/GYN at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. In addition to a comprehensive tour of the new OB/GYN department in Maimonides, which will provide cutting-edge outpatient care including hysteroscopy and ultrasound technology, Rabbi Melber discussed various innovations and medical solutions with Dr. Chudnoff throughout the day.
Tahareinu encourages women in the New York/New Jersey area to reach out to this prominent facility for AUB and other gynecological challenges.
On Thursday evening was the first event for Tahareinu-certified course members, at which Rabbi Melber delivered a lecture and hosted a Q and A session.
Dr. Chudnoff also presented at that event, stressing the advantages of minimally invasive gynecology and the importance of women reaching out to address even seemingly minor gynecological challenges. He shared a tragic scenario in which a woman came to be examined after experiencing very irregular bleeding for a year. He ultimately delivered a cancer diagnosis, for which there was no cure at that point. Had she reached out a year earlier, a simple hysteroscopy with see-and-treat intervention could have prevented the tragedy.
In most cases, of course, the diagnosis is thankfully more mild, and can be easily rectified. A nurse or Bodekes Tahara can identify a wound which can obviate the need for Mikvah; however, she cannot determine whether there is a greater issue within the uterus.
Although a single instance of irregular bleeding is generally not cause for concern, persistent irregularity is a medical condition and should be treated accordingly.
Throughout the week, Rabbi Melber held many more individual counseling sessions with couples in the tri-state area and got involved in many of their cases on a personal level.
On Sunday, October 24, the event for Tahareinu course professionals was held in Lakewood, with a bonus session by Dr. Yitzchok Glatstein, who spoke highly of Tahareinu’s work and shared fascinating insights in the realm of fertility treatments.
He will be opening a fertility center in Lakewood shortly for all basic treatments including IUI, as well as a more advanced IVF center in close proximity to Lakewood. We will update our readers as soon as these centers are open for patients. We wish Dr. Glatstein much success in these vital endeavors, and look forward to working closely with him to help Jewish families achieve their dreams.
Dr. Glatstein also mentioned a new form of the HSG test, used to detect internal blockages and the shape of the uterus. This one utilizes foam in place of dye. This has several benefits to the patient, including less pain and fewer instances of bleeding. The test is now performed with the assistance of ultrasound technology and much less pressure.
The Monsey event on Monday was attended by many Rabbanim, Kallah teachers, and other Tahara professionals, who heard from Rabbi Melber as well as Dr. Yehoshua Klein, RE and fertility specialist, who also presented several fascinating instances of IVF challenges and their unique solutions.
On Monday, Rabbi Melber met with Dr. Robin Hilsenrath, a fertility specialist based in the Monsey Health Center. After hearing about Tahareinu from many of her patients, she reached out to form a connection which resulted in a very productive meeting. We encourage our Rockland County families to get in touch and avail themselves of her expertise.
This whirlwind trip both expanded and emphasized the tremendous achievements of Tahareinu in both the Tahara and fertility arenas.
Other chief innovations, as presented at the ASRM 2021:
IVG to replace IVF?
In a development that is taking the infertility universe by a storm, IVG ( in vitro gametogenesis) is set to be trialed and approved for widespread use within the next few years. This innovation is both unique in its method as well as its application, and will have mammoth ramifications on the entire infertility landscape. It promises to be a more cost-effective and more successful approach than IVF, and specifically offers hope to couples who have no foreseeable chance of giving birth through IVF. Of course, there will be numerous controversies and questions to be dealt with when this breakthrough becomes accessible, due to the nature of the treatment.
Proov:
The progesterone at home kit. In addition to the standard drugstore ovulation kits, this new simple test will provide easy and completely non-invasive access to the woman’s progesterone levels, and is now commonly available in pharmacies.
MyFemBree:
A medication-based solution for fibroids. This can potentially replace the procedures that have been the go-to solution thus far. This solution works on the GNRH, and stops the woman’s cycle completely.
New contraceptive methods:
In the near future, a Progesterone-only ring similar to the NuvaRing and Annovera will become available geared specifically to nursing women. This will be the equivalent of the mini pill, but preclude the common pitfalls of the pill version. There will also be a new flexible IUD named Nitinol, which will reduce the common heavy bleeding associated with IUD. The IUB, or intra-uterine ball, which is already available in Israel, will imminently be available in America as well.
Israel-based FIGO conference
Upon his return home, Rabbi Melber attended yet another conference, this one hosted by FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics).
One lecturer discussed the widely accepted PALM-COEIN model for exploring abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB). It is now a medical axiom that there can be roughly 20 different reasons for bleeding, and various solutions depending on the cause.
It should be noted that doctors are now paying more attention to these irregularities, which is certainly a favorable development for our community.
Professor Carp to visit US and offer private consultations
Tahareinu is pleased to announce that Professor Howard Carp, professor of OB/GYN at Tel Aviv University and world-renowned leader on recurrent pregnancy loss, will be in New York in the near future.
He has limited availability for individual consultations with couples; we will be happy to make the connection for any interested parties.
Professor Carp is a pioneer in the field and has amassed a vast repertoire of knowledge in all things infertility over his 35-year career. We encourage you to take advantage of this very unique opportunity. Please reach out to schedule: rabbimelber@tahareinu.com
Gearing up for our 2022 annual campaign:
Tahareinu around the world!
Every year, Tahareinu’s annual campaign focuses on raising funds to bring more healthy Jewish children to more families.
Our campaign will be officially launching on January 10th.
But NOW is the time for the entire Tahareinu family – friends, callers, readers, and alumni – to sign up to raise a specific amount so we can continue to build families with purity and professionalism.
As the Jewish world grows more connected and the impact of Tahareinu is felt keenly worldwide, we ask for your personal support in growing our success.
Commit to raising $1,800 to partner with Tahareinu
Commit to raising $3,600 to sponsor a day of the Tahareinu Hotline
Commit to raising $5,000 to partner in the birth of a healthy Jewish child
Currently, our hotline answers questions on infertility, miscarriages, genetics, intimacy, high risk pregnancies, and of course, Tahara challenges. We are always seeking ways to service even more countries, build more families, and guide more couples to successful birth of their children.
Sign up to be a passionate partner with Tahareinu in this campaign!
Aim for a high goal and start spreading the word.
Please don’t wait. There is no measuring the impact of completing a Jewish family!
If you would like to get more passionately involved as a community ambassador in the campaign, we would be thrilled to have you on board! Please reach out to tzvi.goldman@tahareinu.com to discuss volunteer opportunities.
Together we can achieve our goal:
Bringing the power of Tahara and the joy of children to Jewish families worldwide.
Rabbi Melber continues to offer individual consultation to couples throughout the world via Zoom or phone. Please reach out to rabbimelber@tahareinu.com to request a meeting.
We look forward to continuing to be there for our families!
Got a question about relieving tahara problems, infertility, reproductive health, pain or other related issues?
call the Tahareinu hotline
For ongoing infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, or reproductive genetic issues,
you and your spouse are warmly invited to schedule an in-person, phone or Zoom consultation with our founder and president, Rabbi Yitzchok Melber.
Please send an email to rabbimelber@tahareinu.com Include your first name and location, and briefly describe your issue.
Personal consultations are for more involved reproductive issues. Note the Israel
office has reopened for in-person consultations, in line with the country’s coronavirus status.
IMPORTANT
Most Tahareinu issues are addressed by our hotline advisors, 13 hours a day, 5 days a week. If you are unsure whether to schedule a consultation, call the hotline first.
