by Matthew Woolf, Education & Outreach Executive
In the tradition of many Englishmen that have gone before, my journey across the ancient Roman divide separating England from its northern neighbour was filled with peril. Whilst I didn’t face any raiding parties or the armies of William Wallace, my opponent was arguably more formidable: the treachery of the Great British rail service. Arriving in Edinburgh eight-and-a-half hours after departing from Euston, via an hour wait in the beautiful (and wet) town of Preston, the journey’s hardship had me steeled and ready for the task at hand – some might say, the perfect preparation.
I was here for Jnetics’ first ever Scotland tour, to spread the word of recessive genetic screening and the Jnetics University Screening Week 2025 to the hardy inhabitants (the Jewish university students) of this rugged and rainy land.
Armed with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and dozens of bagels, I accompanied the fantastic Scottish university chaplains Rabbi Eliran and Ayalah Shabo, to three universities in three days to educate and engage on Jnetics upcoming university screening week.
Glasgow, the hometown of our enterprising CEO, was first up, where a lively audience more than compensated for the lack of heating in the room, and students devoured the Jnetics branded lollipops and the message on how screening for conditions such as Tay-Sachs Disease, Cystic Fibrosis and 47 other conditions allows piece of mind for family-planning and preventing children being born with devastating genetic conditions, with equal excitement.
Up next was my alma mater, The University of Edinburgh. Here, the crowd were enthralled by the selection of bagel toppings, by the knowledge that the screening process is completely free and that it can be completed in the comfort of your own home, at a convenient time, whilst they’re in full time education!
The ancient city of St Andrews was the final stop on the tour. We braved the treacherous crossing of the Firth of Forth and pressed on to North Sea coast. Here, the talk was received like a hole-in-one on a long Par 3, as the attendees were thrilled to learn that being a carrier for something we test for is not only extremely common ((over 1 in 3 of us are a carrier for one of the conditions on the Jnetics panel), but nothing to worry about, with carriers typically being completely healthy.
My time in Scotland was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. I’d like to thank the presidents and committee members at Glasgow, Edinburgh and St Andrews JSOCs for making me feel welcome and listening to our message, as well as the Shabos’ for providing the bagels and the company.
If you are a university student reading this, you have until next week to sign up to Jnetics On Campus University Screening Week, which is COMPLETELY FREE! You can test from the comfort of your own home, and the results give you comforting knowledge for any future family planning decisions. Sign up now at Jnetics on Campus – Jnetics
