lo a Jewish iamily awaiting a physicians health report on their newborn there are no words more devastating than "your :hild has Tay-Sachs1 disease." Because this congenital disorder2 is fatal in the early years of a child's life coupled with the statis tical studies showing that it strikes primarily Jewish families of East European heritage an increasing awareness and concern has been voiced3 by the Jewish community with regard to the de tection and cure of this genetic disease. Lately,4 the medical and tialakhic aspects of screening large segments of the Jewish popu lation for the carrier state of Tay-Sachs disease and the perform ance of amniocentesis for the pre-natal detection have been dis cussed and debated. This essay will deal with the moral, ethical, social, psychological and religious indications and contraindica tions to amniocentesis for the pre-natal diagnosis of Tay-Sachs disease.