by Debra Lobel

Created on: April 26, 2009   Last Updated: May 05, 2009

When it comes to Jewish law, it is always best to consult a Rabbi. It is the same as trying to understand the law in any country or municipality. When in doubt, consult a lawyer. The reason that there is Jewish law regarding adoption is to understand the child's status in the Jewish community. A child is considered Jewish if:

The birth mother is Jewish.
The birth mother is not Jewish but the child is converted according to Jewish law.

If the adoption process is done according to Jewish law, raising another person's child as your own is considered to be a noble and rewarding deed. If the child is not Jewish, then the child is converted to Judaism after the adoption process is legally finalized. They are given a Hebrew name in the same way a biological child would be given a Hebrew name. When the child reaches the age of maturity (12 for a girl and 13 for a boy), then they have the option of rejecting the conversion. According to strict Jewish law, a child who rejects the Jewish conversion would not be recognized as the parent's adopted child.

Jewish conversion for a child requires immersion in a ritual bath called a mikvah. Boys must be circumcised before the immersion. Circumcising a baby is minimally painful, but circumcising a young boy can be traumatic. A special Rabbi called a mohel (pronounced mo-yel) performs this procedure. He usually performs the circumcision at the home of the family or the synagogue. If the child is older, the circumcision might be done in a hospital by a doctor. Only draw a drop of blood from the penis as a symbol of circumcision would be needed after the child is adopted.

The mikvah process is having the child immersed in a ritual bath three times while three Rabbis recite prayers and witness the process. For a young child, an adult can take the child into the mikvah and make sure the child is totally immersed.

Two of my sons were converted right after their adoption was finalized. My first son was three and a half. We felt that he was too old to have a circumcision without anesthesia. He also had some urinary tract problems. His doctor felt that circumcision would help his urinary tract problems. The surgery was going to happen before the adoption. We talked to our Rabbi about the circumcision process in regards to conversion. He said that if three Rabbis witness the circumcision, then no blood would have to be drawn after the adoption. My second son was adopted when he was two and a half. He was already circumcised. The mohel taught us how to draw a drop of blood from his penis, which we did right before he was immersed in the mikvah.

My friend took my first son into the mikvah. Three Rabbis recited special prayers as they watched my friend submerge into the water with my son. I took my second son into the mikvah and the same process happened with the Rabbis. After the mikvah, we went into the sanctuary at the synagogue so that the boys would formally get their Hebrew names. Hebrew names consist of a name that is picked for them followed by son/daughter of the parents. For example, my first son is Jonaton Lev ben Devorah v'Liyah Rut (Jonaton Lev son of Devorah and Liyah Rut).

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