Special needs adoption from a Jewish perspective.

Special needs adoption from a Jewish perspective.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Who Releaseth Captives from their Bondage

A few months ago I tripped upon ReecesRainbow.org and I have not been the same since.  I have become obsessed with the lives of special needs orphans in other countries.  I have cried for them, prayed for them, and begged my husband to consider adopting one.

But while the blogs of adoptive families have touched, moved and inspired me, I have felt estranged from their authors due to a simple fact.  I am Jewish.  The references to James 1:27, for example, are not part of my spiritual vocabulary.   But it is a fact that the notion of G*d as the Father of the Fatherless has its origins in the Old Testament, the Torah.   So I began to seek ideas within my liturgy that could serve as reference points for my own journey into this new world of special needs adoption.

"Matir Asurim" - "Who Releaseth Captives from their Bondage" - is used to describe G*d at several points in the daily prayer.  It is used in the morning blessings, as well as in the Amidah (the standing prayer), which is recited 3 times each day by religious Jews.  It is very appropriate for describing G*d's role - through us - with respect to innocent children trapped in cribs or institutions, with no future unless they are adopted into loving families.

In this blog I will advocate for orphans from a Jewish perspective, to give another voice to the voiceless.

10 comments:

  1. I am glad you decided to start a blog. I will enjoy hearing from your point of view. (I have been writing my blog for Valentin's sake for a year now.)

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  2. Thank you! I hope you will find it interesting. I have some very talented company here in the blogosphere!

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  3. Thanks for coming by and commenting on my blog today, I'm glad to have found yours and be able to find a new perspective!

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    1. Welcome! This is such a fun way to share ideas and experiences with other people. I've only been at it for a few months, and I'm having a blast! I have shared several of your posts with my husband, too. He has military experience so some of your army wife stories touched him. Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Thanks! I hope that I can make a difference.

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  5. Yes, the Ds world is very heavily slanted towards Christian belief. Glad you're a new voice out there. I know two families who have adopted children through Reese's Rainbow, I'd be happy to connect you. Cheers. :)

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    1. Thank you! As you can tell, I've linked to several RR blogs. I'd love to make more personal connections.

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  6. I get a link to your blog every week from TBZ but have never followed it before. Thank you for the amazing work that you are doing!

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