Article Discussion: When the Interfaith Couple Considers Adoption

[admin]

Click here to read the article:When the Interfaith Couple Considers Adoption

[shorty]

My husband and i looked into adoption.  I am Jewish he isn't.  We had agreed to raise our children as Jews.  When looking into the implications for adoption, we would obviously have to convert any child - twice in some cases, once when they arrive and again at bar/bat mitzvah age.  there is a catch though - in some communities the child will not be converted if there is a non Jewish parent in the household.  

[Unregistered]

I am concerned about your comments regarding interaction with expectant parents considering placing their child for adoption. You stated "...if the couple plans to raise their children as Jews, they may feel an obligation to make this known to birthparents from the very start. How much will this jeopardize their chances to be selected by birthparents and will it prolong their adoption process?"

Certainly full disclosure is more important than a feeling of obligation, as expectant parents deserve to know a prospective adoptive couples intentions in order to make a fully informed decision. To suggest anything else is coercive and unethical. Adoption is not about doing what you can to obtain a child, it is about parents in crisis who are trying to find the right home for their child. Honesty and transparency should be the only option.

[Unregistered]

nteresting article. We adopted our daughter when she was an infant. I am Jewish and my husband is Catholic. We had decided, way before the adoption, to raise our children Jewish. At the time, we belonged to a reform synagogue. We didn't have to have conversion ceremony. Her baby naming was done at the synagogue, and she later celebrated her bat mitzvah (and led the majority of the service) with another Jewish community we joined when she was in elementary school. There's never been any question, in her nor in the congregation's mind, that she is Jewish, and I hope Jewish and interfaith couples who want to raise their children Jewish, aren't turned off from pursuing this path because they think they have to have their children go through a conversion process.

[Virginia May Reynolds]

Absolutely,  do not be deterred!  We are weird as people would see: Wiccan and Jewish but we agreed to bring up kids as Jewish (although my family are Christian) and honestly nice so far,  Dan and I love each other and our families can see that.  I'm now expecting child number two and both famiiies are excited.  I guess most of us feel Jewish somewhat, with me by marriage, for most of you I guess by heritage but either way, something to be proud of and also the torelarance for other faiths,,, Happy New Year x