jewish adoptive parents

i wish i had an answer - we're in the same boat. have you found out? have you come across other countries that are jewish-friendly or the opposite?

... and I adopted my daughter from China with no problems. My homestudy mentioned my involvement in religious activities and my plan to raise my daughter as Jewish. Many other Jewish people, of all degrees of observance, have adopted from China as well. Personally, I find that Chinese culture reminds me of my Jewish heritage, with its emphasis on education, respect for elders, and its focus on tradition. When I first began to consider adoption, I knew right away that I would find my daughter in China. And, lo and behold, I did! She is a perfect fit for my family. My daughter attends a Jewish day school run on the Solomon Schechter (Conservative) model. There are other internationally adopted children in the school, whose parents had no difficulty adopting as Jews. In fact -- get this -- there is even another Chinese daughter of an old single Mom like me! And she lived in Israel for 17 years, and her daughter is totally bilingual! Other adopted children in the school come from Russia, Korea, and Latin America. There are also non-White children who are not adoptees in her school, making for a more diverse environment than I expected to find there. Last year, for example, one of her classmates was an immigrant from Eritrea, a country near Ethiopia where the residents are Black; there are many Ethiopian and Eritrean Jews who have immigrated to the U.S. and Israel. She also has a classmate whose Black Mom converted to Judaism at 19 and, much later, married a White Jewish man. She enjoys being Chinese and Jewish, and it's rather fun to find ways of combining these two aspects of her heritage. As an example, when she was in a Jewish preschool, she wanted a "Mulan" birthday party; at the time, the Disney movie about a Chinese woman who helps save China from the Huns by dressing as a man and joining the military, was very popular among Chinese adoptees. Her preschool required that foods served at parties involving its students be from a Kosher bakery. So we went to one of the ultra-Orthodox ones in the area, which made up a wonderful chocolate cake with a picture of Mulan on it! This year, when Becca turned eight, we went back to the same ultra-Orthodox bakery with a photograph of Becca in a Chinese dress and had the photo turned into a gel and incorporated into the design on the top of the cake. We have also done Chinese New Year and adoption programs in Becca's preschool and, then, in her school. And recently, when Becca was learning about time lines in third grade social studies, she created one with color copies of her referral picture, her Chinese passport picture, pictures of us in China, pictures of her at a citizenship ceremony, pictures of her with her Chinese friends at various activities, and so on. At home, we have a Happy Chanukah door plaque to greet visitors during that season, which features an Asian boy and girl and a menorah. We also have a Chinese painting in our front entryway and, on the other side of the living room, a picture featuring a traditional Jewish home blessing. Sharon

When I adopted last summer (2003) there was a Jewish couple in my group adopting a baby. There is a small but significant Jewish community in Azerbaijan. The country has a good relationship with Israel. I have also noticed a number of Jewish families who have adopted in Azerbaijan (and Kazakhstan, also Islamic).