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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We are a married couple with one child who would like to adopt our second (due to secondary infertility we cannot have a second).

However, one of my concerns is religion.  We are Jewish, observant, and very involved in the Jewish community (members of a synagogue, child goes to Hebrew and Sunday school), etc.  Most of our friends/community are Jewish too.  So religion is a big part of our lives.

Most birth mothers may be unfamiliar with Judaism.  My concern are:  a) that we will not be chosen by a birth mother because they are unfamiliar with Judaism/don't want their child raised Jewish, and b) if we are matched, I am concerned about the concept that we are raising a child in the Jewish religion who was born into a different religion.  What if this child later resents us for raising her Jewish when she was born Catholic, etc.?  [b]He/she is of course free to practice whatever religion he/she wants when she turns 18 but I worry that there will be a resentment issue.[/b]

There is basically no intermarriage in either DH or my families, so this is completely uncharted territory for us, and we have a lot of anxieties about the religion aspect.

Any thoughts about this?[/quote]

NP I think you’re inviting a resentment issue even if you find a child who was born into a Jewish family. Kids should be free to choose their own religion and decide what they believe at ANY age. You can of course drag a small child along with you to different religious events when they’re younger, since the whole family is going and they’re too young to stay home, but by the age of 12 or whatever is legal in your area then your kid should be free to decline these religious events if they decide they don’t believe that and/or aren’t interested. That should be the case even for kids you give birth to. It’s one of the founding principles of this country.

If you change that hard line thinking, you may find it easier to be accepted by non-Jewish or even non-religious birth parents.[/quote]

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