Overview
For too long, infertility and the struggles toward parenthood have been topics of hushed conversations and quiet suffering. From biblical times to present day, the Jewish community knows these challenges all too well. Hadassah is committed to sharing stories and resources to help destigmatize infertility and support the entire family — including parents who may never be grandparents and siblings who may never be aunts or uncles. We teamed up with health and fertility writer Amy Klein, our reConceiving Infertility ambassador, to amplify this message. Delve inside the medicine, get the facts and help us make a difference!
Take Action: Expand Access to Treatment
Speak out to expand insurance coverage and access to treatment with Hadassah. To advance infertility-related legislation nationally and at the state level, we're mobilizing grassroots supporters and partner organizations, sending letters to policymakers and meeting with legislators. Find your power. Raise your voice. Get involved today.
Sharing Stories: Breaking Taboos
reConceiving Infertility works to help more people grapple with their infertility journey or their decision to live childfree by sharing personal stories. Infertility doesn't only affect intended parents, but extended families and communities, too. Break the taboos. In partnership with Jewish Women’s Archive and Uprooted, we’re collecting family-building stories to raise up the voices of others and help our communities expand their definitions of what it means when we talk about family.
What Not to Say About Baby Making
Have a loved one struggling to get or stay pregnant? Here's what NOT to say to those going through infertility. Spread the word so we can all learn how to truly listen and support each other.
Meet Our Ambassador
Hear from our ambassador, Amy Klein, author of The Trying Game: Get Through Fertility Treatment and Get Pregnant without Losing Your Mind. Through an online video series and other opportunities, Amy uses her expertise and humor to reveal the truths about infertility. A prolific health and fertility writer, Amy has written for the New York Times, Newsweek, Slate, Haaretz, The Forward, Kveller, Hadassah Magazine and more. Read her articles and first-hand accounts for an in-depth look at infertility treatment, why this is a Jewish issue and what we as a community can do to support those struggling.
Get the Facts: Infertility FAQs
Hadassah is committed to empowering women and men with the knowledge to make critical health decisions for themselves and their families. Did you know that that age, genetics, other medical conditions and previous treatments can all affect fertility? Get the facts about infertility and treatment, impact in the Jewish community and other pathways toward parenthood.
Fertility Care at Hadassah’s Hospitals
Hadassah’s Fertility Treatment Clinic, with IVF unit, at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem is considered one of the leading units in Israel. Hadassah physicians have been at the vanguard of infertility treatments for decades and pioneered the use of preimplantation genetic testing. The fertility clinics also work closely with Hadassah’s Ovum Donation and Preservation Program, Genetic Counseling Clinic and Cytogenetic Laboratory. The Hadassah Rimon Mind/Body Fertility Center, on the Mount Scopus campus, is renowned for providing women with holistic care that addresses the physical and psychological factors for fertility.
Funding, Support and Resources
We’re working alongside many other organizations — both Jewish and secular — to confront taboos, support families and unite around advocacy. There are many Jewish organizations that help with medical information, peer support, and, sometimes, financing. We have compiled these resources from our partners, so you don’t have to look any further:
- Jewish Infertility Resources List
- International Schedule of Online Programs In the Time of Corona Keren Gefen
- National Infertility Awareness Week RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association
- Find a Health Professional American Society for Reproductive Medicine
- Communicating with Your Insurer and Your Employer Fertility within Reach
Hadassah does not endorse the organizations, medical advice or medical professionals included in the above, but is providing these references for your convenience. We encourage everyone to consult with their own health care professionals prior to embarking on, or modifying any course of treatment.
News and Stories
Read about Hadassah’s advocacy at the state and federal levels, research from Hadassah’s hospitals and featured testimonials from those affected by infertility. You will surely be moved by the stories that destigmatize infertility, tackle what to say — and what not to say — to support those struggling, and empower others to speak out and effect change.