Question: How is a child's Jewish identity affected when he/she is adopted by Christians?
Answer: You write that you and your wife, both Christians, are planning to
adopt a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and you ask if this would
affect her status as a Jew. You also mention that you are willing to accommodate her religious needs as a Jew and to enroll her in Jewish religious education.
From an orthodox Jewish perspective, Jewish identity is permanent and can never be changed after a person is born Jewish. Liberal Jews
recognize the right and ability of adults to choose a religious identity. All would agree that if your child is Jewish now and she
continues to be raised as a Jew, there is nothing to prevent her from being recognized as a Jew.
There are many reasons why people choose to adopt. I don't know the
circumstances that have led you to this decision -- perhaps the
girl's biological parents have lost their parental rights and the
girl has been placed in your foster care. Nationwide, there is a
critical shortage of families willing to provide foster care and to
adopt older children. It is admirable when suitable people choose to make such children a permanent part of their families and end the
cycles of relocation and institutionalization that scar so many
children.
I believe that it also is admirable to help an adopted child of this
age to maintain an identity within her religion. By enrolling your
daughter in a program of Jewish education and by becoming more
knowledgeable yourselves about Jewish observance, I hope that you
will succeed in creating an environment for her growth as a Jew.
In my own congregation, I have seen a few examples of Jewish children who do not have a Jewish custodial parent. My congregation has been generous in accepting such children in our education program and helping the non-Jewish parent to provide for the child's religious needs. I am hopeful that you will find the support of a congregation in your community.
Best wishes,
Rabbi Jeffrey W. Goldwasser
