[Ashore75]

Hi! My name is Amy and my husband, 10 year old daughter (bio), and I are currently working towards adopting a baby girl from Guatemala! We are very excited to have her come into our family. My daughter can't wait to be a big sister--and change diapers! (That'll change... ) I talked with our Rabbi and when the baby comes home, she will be formally named in the temple. She will be named for my grandparents, two very special people in my life. Tell me your stories about adopting and naming! Currently we are "next in line" at our adoption agency for a referral...so we are highly anticipating a call soon! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, advice, concerns, etc. on adopting and being Jewish!

[sak9645]

I adopted my daughter when she was 18.5 mo. old. A couple of months after she arrived home, she went to the mikvah at a local Conservative synagogue and emerged Jewish! The following Shabbat, she was named in our Reform synagogue.

Becca attended a preschool in a Conservative synagogue, and went on to kindergarten at a local Jewish Day School; it is basically Conservative in orientation, but attracts Jews of all varieties, from very traditional to fairly secular.

Becca is now in second grade at the Jewish Day School. Interestingly, there is a Chinese Jewish girl who is an Israeli citizen in her class. There is also an American Black Jewish girl in her class. When she used to ride the bus, there was an Ethiopian Jewish girl who got on at her stop. And there are many adopted kids, both White and non-White in the school.

Becca has adjusted very well to being Chinese, American, and Jewish. On the Jewish side, she already reads Hebrew quite well, and can write nicely in cursive script. Fortunately, I took a year of college Hebrew a couple of years ago, and can keep up with her, though it's getting harder! She loves the Jewish holidays and going to synagogue.

I'd be glad to talk with you about our experiences.

Sharon

[Ashore75]

Hi, Sharon!

Your Becca sounds adorable! It's amazing the rich cultural awareness that adopted children bring to the classroom. Just last week we got a picture of our daughter in Guatemala that we hope to adopt--we are awaiting information about her from the agency--and my daughter yesterday brought the picture into her 5th grade classroom to show the teacher and the kids in her class. Everyone was so elated and excited! My daughter's best friend is in her class this year, and she was adopted at age 3 from Korea. My daughter's other best friend was adopted as a baby ten years ago from Guatemala, and her family has been so supportive and informative about the whole experience. My daughter's school has such diversity--Chinese, Guatemalan, Indian, Japanese, Korean, African-American, etc. Kids learn so much from each other and the close friendships they make.

Adoption is such a wonderful gift. We are enjoying our journey and daydreaming every moment about our new addition! What was it like going to China and seeing Becca for the first time? What was it like the first few days of adjustment and transition?

I have to keep on my toes when my daughter Miranda asks me to help her with Hebrew homework. She enjoys memorizing certain prayers and has quickly learned to speak and write the language. She has been studying Hebrew since first grade. I was hoping we could go to Israel for her Bat Mitzvah, but the violence right now in the middle east may ground those plans.

Thanks for writing! I can't wait to hear more about Becca!

Sincerely,
Amy

[Bonnie S.]

Hi! Our son, Max, was not adopted internationally or of a different race. He is caucasian, but born of a Christian birthmother. when we brought him home at 2 weeks old, we had his bris. His birthmother was terrific about making sure he was not circumcized in the hospital.

When he was 5 months old, we went to a mikvah at a local Conservative synogagogue and had him oficially converted to Judaism. As for naming, well, Max is named in honor of my Mom who died 10 years ago.

He is now 3 years old and is enjoying his first year of Sunday School at our shul. It is such a blessing to see along with other adopted children, learning the blessings. we have a great mixture of races at our shul, as well.

Please know that you have others to talk to here as you embark on this wonderful journey.

[Ashore75]

Hi, Bonnie!

It is so great that you were able to work with the birthmother and have a bris for Max. I also have a little cousin Max--very cute name! I am sure he brings you so much joy and is a blessing of rememberance for your mother.

My 10 year old daughter Miranda is in 5th grade and loves to practice Hebrew prayers. Her Hebrew School teacher times them with a stopwatch on Sundays, so Miranda is always ready and excited when she does the prayer in less than 30 seconds! It is so sweet when you see the little ones like your Max learning the traditions. I can't wait until our baby Lucinda is able to begin her Hebrew School training. When I picked Miranda up from Hebrew School yesterday, I saw two Asian children in the bunch--and it is wonderful that Judaism is becoming more diverse.

Thanks for sharing your story, Bonnie! I would love to hear more about Max!

Amy

[tracysg]

Hi! I am jewish and just adopted a little boy last week. We are walking on air we are so excited!

He was circumcized in the hospital, but we are having a bris. They will do some prayers and draw a little blood. Then we will go to the mikva. I am so excited about it all. He is such a little angel. His mother is Catholic, but knows that we are jewish and is okay about it. We got to meet her and it was great.

I would love to have some other jewish adoptive mothers to talk to, so I hope people keep posting on this board.

Tracy

[Ashore75]

Tracy,

Congratulations on your new addition! Please tell me more about your little boy who joined your family just last week! (I can imagine you are walking on Cloud 9--as expected!!) I am assuming it was a domestic, open adoption from the details in your posting. The bris sounds wonderful--good luck with everything!

In which state do you live? We live in NJ.

Currently my husband and I are in the process of adopting our daughter Lucinda Heather, who was born in Guatemala on 10/23. We received her referral three weeks ago, and we are STILL walking on air! International adoption takes longer than domestic, so we anticipate Lucinda joining our family in the spring. We have a picture of her and enjoy daydreaming about her--especially my 10 year old daughter Miranda (bio) who can't wait to be a big sister!

Mazel tov and best wishes! Please post again! We would love to hear more about your little angel!

Amy

[ilovemykids]

we adopted our son from guatemala as well

he came home at the age of 12 months and 2 weeks.

we had him circumcised by a urogolist at the hospital under sedation and then a few months later we had his mikvah.

our son is named for my 2 wonderful grandfathers who would have loved him to pieces.

now we are in the process of readopting our son to have his english name legally changed so he will be named for my 2 grandpas in english as well as keeping his given birthname as his middle name.

[Ashore75]

From your post, I can tell you adore your children! Besides your son, how many others do you have?

My daughter who is now 6 months old and still in Guatemala will be named for my grandmother and my grandfather, so I understand where your sentiment comes from! I think it's so special to pass along names of those we loved as a "good luck charm" as well as a gift to those whom we miss and those who survive them. My elder daughter who is 10 is named for my Aunt and 1st Cousin. I remember them and feel a closeness with them because of her name, and I know some of her sweetness and specialness are from them, too!

I am sure your grandfathers are beaming down from heaven!

Sincerely,
Amy

PS Good luck with your readoption!

[ilovemykids]

besides my son we have a miracle bio ivf daughter that will be 7 this summer.

she was very involved in the whole process of the adoption of her brother.

we were sent a video of 2 baby boys and she chose which baby would become her brother and she named him aaron seth carlos.


lisa
so fun frames - check out the www under my post to get to my home based website

[Ashore75]

I'm writing a weekly column about adoption and it has a bit of a Jewish slant to it. It appears every Thursday at http://www.ahherald.com/index.html. Click on "columns" and select "Adoption Option" at the bottom.

Happy Reading!

Amy

[TheFoxx]

Hi everyone! I'm also adopting from Guatemala - we got our referral a few months ago and are hoping to bring our boy home soon. I'm also in NJ (South).

Julie

[lisaf1]

I am adopting a little girl from Guatemala. I hope to have her home in a couple of weeks ( just waiting on pink slip). I have already spoken with my Rabbi and will have her conversion shortly after she is home. I will also have her naming at my synagogue on the Sat following her conversion. She will be namded after my grandmother and my great aunt. I can't wait...


Lisa

[RLK913]

I brought my son home from Guatemala last December at the age of 4.5 months, and am in the process for #2.

We had my son's Hatafat Dam Brit about 6 weeks ago. All went smoothly. He goes to Shul almost every week and often "sings" along with the cantor! He loves going to Synogogue - maybe it is because of all the attention he gets?

Best of luck to you. Hope you receive your referral soon!

[ThenTheyDo]

We're also in the process - waiting for our DNA preapproval for our little boy. It's been three long years for us, and while we were warned about anti-semitism when we were (unsuccessfully) moving through the process in Russia, we haven't heard anything of that kind in Guatemala.

We go to a conservative shul, but are observant and plan to have an orthodox conversion, mostly because my family is orthodox.

There's a thread on one of the yahoo groups now about holiday traditions -- of course, they're mostly based in Christianity, and not ideal for our family. So any ideas that y'all have about Guatemalan traditions that aren't religious -- please share!!!

I have found one adorable book - Jalepeno Bagels - about being Latino and Jewish (my husband is a latino jew, so our son will not be alone!). Unfortunately, our shul in DC has few non-caucasian kids (unlike the shuls in NYC, where I'm from!). I also picked up some Ladino CDs the last time I was in Israel - figured the more ways I could find to emphasize the overlap of cultures, the better.

Thanks in advance for sharing ideas!!!