Dear Rick (see comment on previous post),
Since you did not identify yourself with an email address or a blog, I'm assuming that you meant to just bring up a subject and will probably not follow up. If you do, I'm open to a dialogue.
Anyways, my short response to you is: What Jewish kids languishing in Russian orphanages?
What Jewish kids are available for adoption in the first place?
Answer: few. Most are special needs, which is not my first choice. Many are older, again, not my first choice.
In addition, the general Russian adoption system was in disarray when we initially started our adoption process. I don't know how much it's improved since. I needed something more certain.
My Orthodox friends and I who are adopting/have adopted are all subject to questions such as this. Yet when we looked for Jewish children to adopt, they were nowhere to be found, unless, again, they were special needs. I think that if so many Jewish children or babies were available for adoption, there would be a public campaign for them to be adopted, and it wouldn't take long before they were all in wonderful Jewish homes.
If you happen to know otherwise, please feel free to contact me again. I know quite a few people who would be very interested.
6 comments:
Dear Devora -
We do foster care - as in through the state department of youth and family services. I can't tell you how many times we've been asked why we don't go through Ohel or another Jewish organization - it's like because we are Jewish and specifically Orthodox, obviously we should only seek out Jewish organizations. The fact is, thank G-d, there just aren't a whole lot of Jewish children out there in need of placement. Jewish children in foster care are usually on there for a short time while a relative or friend is located.
So, while we continue to be thrilled with our black and Hispanic children, we contine to answer questions as to why we didn't keep looking for Jewish children to foster and adopt.
Good for you! As a fellow Jewish woman, I chose China because of the health of the majority of children. While of Russian ancestry I did not see Eastern Europe as a place for me to build a family due to the stories of abuse and high incidences of FAS. It's great for some, not for me.
Dont sweat it.
There are like 8 agencies in NYC that deal with Jewish clients and Jewish kids but again, few and far between who is there.
I like your response! Also, doesn't Rick know that orthodox Rabbis sometimes discourage Jewish families from adopting the few and rare jewish children available for adoption, unless both their parents are known (which in the case of an orphanage, they might not be) We are not Orthodox, more like extra-tradional with a good does of modern-orthodoxy thrown in, but our rabbis actively discouraged us from seeking any adoptions in eastern europe if the parents couldn't be traced because of lot of issues with lineage, Cohen, etc.
Not that the orphanges are full of Jewish kids anyways....
Not that it matters (I totally agree with you), but I did meet a woman with a really neat story about how she found her daughter who happened to be from a Jewish enclave somewhere in Russia. She met a woman on an airplane who was traveling with her adopted daughter. This lady mentioned how she wanted to adopt and the seatmate showed her a picture of a little girl she met at the orphange, couldn't adopt, but also couldn't get out of her mind. This lady ended up adopting her! A bit off topic, but this reminded me of that story (and yes, the child was older!)
Devora-
Before we actually conceived, we considered Jewish adoption (husband is Reform, I am Not (as in Not Jewish)). We knew about the Jewish Family services, but we also knew the wait was longer there.
To be honest? The choice of China is yours to make.
I am assuming that you are planning to raise your daughter Jewish and I want to let you know, in our temple, there are a fair amount of Asian girls who are being raised Jewish there. Our community is quite welcoming to anyone who wishes to worship there.
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