Yes, we issue them at the end of every tax year, for donations of R5000 per annum. Please email [email protected] to arrange.

You can purchase branded items from our website or at our offices.

Call the Malka Ella phone, 0720354235 and we can make an arrangement to deliver to you or for you to collect from our offices.

You can send a message to the Malka Ella phone, 0720354235, with your address and times and date when someone will be home and we will arrange to collect your tin from you.

Through our website. You go to the shop section on our website and then choose Gift Certificates. There are a variety of options to choose from and before Rosh Hashona and Pesach, you can send cards to family and friends as well.

There are a few different ways to go about making a donation:

• You can donate through the website
• You can donate via credit card by either going to the office or calling the office
• You can do an EFT. Our bank details are: The MEF Fund. Nedbank. Branch 198765. Account 1148434925. Please use your name as a reference

Yes, you need to fill out the forms online. Please see the FAQ on application and funding

Malka Ella has a team of dedicated staff, well equipped to assist you during the period following a loss.  We provide emotional support and pregnancy loss packages designed to address the physical, spiritual and emotional needs following a loss.  In addition, we can assist you with understanding some of the tests or directions your doctor may suggest to you.

I’m sorry to hear about your loss.  Having a miscarriage is very difficult and can stir a lot of emotions.  Unless suggested otherwise by your doctor, there are no necessary tests that need to take place after one loss.

Although a miscarriage is common, when it happens to you, it may feel as if you are all alone.  However, you are not. Malka Ella can provide you with some support to help navigate the feelings of loss and send you a pregnancy loss support package.

Every person that applies for funding or Hashgacha will receive a Gift Pack from us. This includes a copy of the book, The Third Key, an important resource for anyone going through fertility, a Mikvah guideline and special prayer, a booklet with inspirational stories from people who have been through the process and a few added extras to provide some comfort.

Yes, Malka Ella offers unmarried Jewish women the opportunity to preserve their fertility by freezing their eggs. Women who qualify for funding may only use their frozen eggs once they are married by a Rabbi under the Beth Din. In order to apply for the funding please access the Malka Ella website Applications tab and click on the fertility preservation option.

No, Malka Ella is only able to pay fertility clinics and associated doctors.

No, Malka Ella does not pay for long term storage of embryos.

When reviewing applications a large number of factors are taken into consideration and thus there is no set formula that determines the percentage funded. Each case is considered individually.

No, Malka Ella is a tzedokah organization, not a gemach. For loans please contact the Rambam Charitable Trust http://www.rambam.co.za. However, if recipients would like to make a donation to Malka Ella after their treatments, this would be greatly appreciated.

Yes, Malka Ella does not prescribe that you undergo treatments at any particular clinic or doctor but do require you to be under the care of a fertility specialist. In addition, treatments can only be funded at clinics that allow a mashgicha in their laboratory.

No, Malka Ella is only able to pay fertility clinics and associated doctors

No, Malka Ella does not pay for long term storage of embryos.

Malka Ella does not cover doctor’s consultations, blood tests, operations or scans. Only fertility treatments and other associated procedures are covered.

Each couple is able to apply for TWO (2) IVF treatments OR SIX (6) AI in a 12 month period. Under extenuating circumstances funding or additional treatments will be considered.

Please refer to this page on the Malka Ella website for more details.

Roughly 1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jews are carriers of the BRCA genetic mutation, which increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Though this increased risk is genetically transmitted, BRCA is not typically included among the disorders included in the standard testing panels for Jewish genetic diseases. Individuals with a family history of breast or ovarian cancer are encouraged to consider separate testing for the BRCA mutations.

Preimplantation Genetic Screening (PGS) is commonly offered when a patient’s is undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. The test identifies common chromosomal abnormalities in the embryos. Severe abnormalities will not be compatible with life and therefore this test improves pregnancy success rates and reduce miscarriages. It is important to consult with a genetic counsellor.

Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) is an early prenatal screen for Down syndrome and other common chromosomal conditions such as trisomy 13 and 18. The test only involves a simple blood draw from the pregnant mother and can be undertaken from 10 weeks’ gestational age. We know that a baby’s DNA circulates in the mothers blood. This test is a SCREENING test- it is not diagnostic. This means that it may or may not indicate there is a concern, much like an ultrasound. It is recommended that an amniocentesis is done if there is a positive NIPT.

Unfortunately there is a misconception that because you have healthy children, neither parent is a carrier for the same condition. Ashkenazi conditions follow an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. This means both mother and father need to be a carrier for the same condition. If they are, with EACH pregnancy- there is a 25% chance of having an affected child, 25% unaffected and 50% carrier. Carriers are asymptomatic and it will not affect them

Yes, although the chance of being a carrier is slightly smaller. You still have one parent who is Ashkenazi Jewish. We know that 1 in 6 people is a carrier for one of the 9 common conditions. This means that there is a chance you are a carrier and that you can have an affected child. If both parents are Sephardic- some conditions still need to be tested for as they are more common. This is dependent on the country of origin.

Yes, all Malka Ella patients are required to have a mashgicha in the laboratory.

No, the costs for the mashgicha in laboratory is covered by the Malka Ella Fund. All non-Malka Ella patients are asked to donate to the Fund to cover this service.

Under applications on the Malka Ella website there is an option that specifies apply for Hashgacha only. Please provide the required information and your details will be sent to the administrator of Shifra so that they can make contact with you and arrange.

The process is confidential as the financials are reviewed by a professional committee. The pre-screening, while face-to-face, is also confidential as the Malka Ella counsellor is bound by professional confidentiality.

The following timeline is approximate and is dependent on a COMPLETE application being submitted:

• application is checked for completeness –1 week
• couple arranges a meeting as well as meets with the Malka Ella counsellor – 1 week
• Malka Ella receives a written report from the counsellor – 1 week
• Financial committee are sent financial documentation to decide % to be funded – 1 week

Email confirming funding decision and Malka Ella conditions is sent to the couple for their agreement

The process has a number of different components and thus if COMPLETE forms have been submitted the application takes on average it takes 3-4 weeks to be reviewed. Therefore, it is best if you are planning on applying for funding to take this into account and apply timeously. If incomplete applications are uploaded this will delay the review process.

You need to have both Malka Ella Rabbis and your own Rabbi sign off the application forms. The Malka Ella Rabbis, Rabbi Gidon Fox and Rabbi Yechezkiel Auerbach, have vast experience and knowledge in the field of fertility and thus either one of them need to sign off the forms B1-B4. As your own Rabbi knows your specific case, the forms also need to be signed off by him.

You will require the following to be uploaded

• 3 months bank statements
• 3 months salary slips
• 3 months credit card statements (both husband and wife)
• Form B1 & B2 signed by Malka Ella Rabbis
• Signed agreement for conditions of egg freezing
• Completed financial spreadsheet (this is downloaded from the website)

You will require the following to be uploaded:

• Copy of your marriage certificate
• Copy of your ketubah
• 3 months bank statements (both husband and wife)
• 3 months salary slips (both husband and wife)
• 3 months credit card statements (both husband and wife)
• Form B1 & B2 signed by Malka Ella Rabbis
• Forms B3 & B4 signed by Malka Ella Rabbis (if applying for donor procedures or surrogacy)
• Completed financial spreadsheet (this is downloaded from the website)

In order to apply for financial assistance from Malka Ella each couple needs to

• Understand and accept the terms and conditions as listed on the website under Applications
• Discuss and get sign-off from your Rabbi and the Malka Ella Rabbis
• Compile and upload all the required financial documentation
• Apply for hashgacha through the Malka Ella website
• Meet with the Malka Ella counsellor for a pre-screening

There is a financial committee that reviews all applications.

The process is confidential as the financials are reviewed by a professional committee. The pre-screening, while face-to-face, is also confidential as the Malka Ella counsellor is bound by professional confidentiality.

The following timeline is approximate and is dependent on a COMPLETE application being submitted:

• application is checked for completeness –1 week
• couple arranges a meeting as well as meets with the Malka Ella counsellor – 1 week
• Malka Ella receives a written report from the counsellor – 1 week
• Financial committee are sent financial documentation to decide % to be funded – 1 week
• Email confirming funding decision and Malka Ella conditions is sent to the couple for their agreement

You need to have both Malka Ella Rabbis and your own Rabbi sign off the application forms. The Malka Ella Rabbis, Rabbi Gidon Fox and Rabbi Yechezkiel Auerbach, have vast experience and knowledge in the field of fertility and thus either one of them need to sign off the forms B1-B4. As your own Rabbi knows your specific case, the forms also need to be signed off by him.

The process has a number of different components and thus if COMPLETE forms have been submitted the application takes on average it takes 3-4 weeks to be reviewed. Therefore, it is best if you are planning on applying for funding to take this into account and apply timeously. If incomplete applications are uploaded this will delay the review process.

You will require the following to be uploaded:

• Copy of your marriage certificate
• Copy of your ketubah
• 3 months bank statements (both husband and wife)
• 3 months salary slips (both husband and wife)
• 3 months credit card statements (both husband and wife)
• Form B1 & B2 signed by Malka Ella Rabbis
• Forms B3 & B4 signed by Malka Ella Rabbis (if applying for donor procedures or surrogacy)
• Completed financial spreadsheet (this is downloaded from the website)

In order to apply for financial assistance from Malka Ella each couple needs to

• Understand and accept the terms and conditions as listed on the website under Applications
• Discuss and get sign-off from your Rabbi and the Malka Ella Rabbis
• Compile and upload all the required financial documentation
• Apply for hashgacha through the Malka Ella website
• Meet with the Malka Ella counsellor for a pre-screening

Yes, a requirement of the Malka Ella Fund is that the recipient attends the mikveh according to the halacha in the treatment cycle being funded. If the couple is unclear about the laws of the mikveh or what is required, Malka Ella will assist in pairing women with a kallah teacher who understands the intricacies of fertility. Please contact [email protected] to arrange.

Yes, Malka Ella only funds Jewish couples for fertility treatments. Both partners need to be Jewish and must have been married in an orthodox Jewish ceremony.

Yes, you are able to apply to Malka Ella in order to preserve your fertility. If your application is successful, Malka Ella will fund a maximum of R20 000 towards this procedure. Please note that long term storage of the eggs is not included in the funding. Should you wish to use the eggs at a later stage, this would need to be in an orthodox Jewish marriage.

Yes, a requirement of the Malka Ella Fund is that the recipient attends the mikveh according to the halacha in the treatment cycle being funded. If the couple is unclear about the laws of the mikveh or what is required, Malka Ella will assist in pairing women with a kallah teacher who understands the intricacies of fertility. Please contact [email protected] to arrange.

For standard IVF procedures all Jewish married couples are able to apply for funding. Couples applying for donor eggs or surrogacy need to meet with the Johannesburg Beth Din to get permission before Malka Ella will consider funding their treatment.

Yes, Malka Ella only funds Jewish couples for fertility treatments. Both partners need to be Jewish and must have been married in an orthodox Jewish ceremony.