This past Shabbat, congregants at Bnai Yeshurun and Rinat Yisrael were privileged to hear thoughts and insights from Rabbi Menachem Burstein, founder of Puah, an organization that deals with fertility, medicine and halacha. Established in 1990, Puah Institute has helped thousands of couples suffering from infertility by offering free counseling, referrals and support to those seeking professional help. Couples work with one of 17 rabbis who possess a unique combination of halachic wisdom and specialized training in modern reproductive medicine.
Statistically, one out of six couples has some form of fertility issue, interfering with their desire to build a family. Rabbi Burstein wants people in this situation to realize there are many options available. He described the environment at Machon Puah as a “United Nations of Jewish people,” hailing from a host of different backgrounds yet coming to one place with a common goal. Whether you identify as Modern Orthodox, ultra-Orthodox or not Orthodox at all, Puah’s mission is to help you build a family. The desire to procreate is something that unites us as a people. At Puah, the goal is to offer solutions to anybody who reaches out.
For decades, Rabbi Burstein has encountered couples who believe there are no remedies for their problems because of halachic ramifications. He views this as a tremendous misconception. At Puah, the focus on halachic permissibility is researched just as much as the scientific options for solutions to infertility. “There should be no couple who can’t have children because of halacha,” articulated Rabbi Burstein.
Often, people have issues that they are afraid or embarrassed to discuss, he explained. Rabbi Burstein urges couples to reach out to Puah to discuss their concerns in a confidential manner. In most cases, there is a psak or a solution that has been discovered that can make a tremendous difference in a couple’s personal predicament. For example, in some cases, women have abstained from immersing in a mikvah due to a permanent cast on an arm or a leg. At Puah, experts have researched options that include a waterproof cast, allowing women to immerse as required without putting themselves in harm’s way. Through decades of research, Puah has acquired a tremendous amount of knowledge pertaining to many issues that arise time and again.
The resources offered at Puah go beyond fertility. In many cases, family counseling is offered long after a couple successfully has a child. Occasionally, parents reach out to counselors at Puah for guidance in talking to their child about procedures used during conception, or in some cases surrogate intervention. Puah also offers solutions for couples or singles who might be battling illness and want to preserve a chance for procreating in the future. Over the past five years, fertility preservation has made its way to the forefront of scientific research. At Puah, couples or singles are guided through this process, but it is important to remember that while fertility preservation may be recommended, it does not come with a guarantee.
Rabbi Burstein encourages people to explore all the possibilities that exist, and at Puah you can do so with the security of knowing you are getting premier medical guidance coupled with strict halachic supervision. He hopes that more people who need help will contact Puah and hopefully, as thousands can attest, the results will be life-changing. Puah provides services free of charge to those who seek their assistance. For more information, please visit www.puahonline.org.
By Andrea Nissel
