Birthland Bar Mitzvah is designed especially to meet the individual needs of Jewish families formed by adoption from Guatemala. Jewish studies, tailored to the talents and abilities of each Bar or Bat Mitzvah child, culminate in a family expedition to the birthland where Jewish identity and Guatemalan roots are woven together in a tapestry of discovery and celebration.
The number of childless Jewish women in their early 30s is 54 percent, compared to 28 percent for American women in general, according to the most recent National Jewish Population Survey. The survey also shows about 5 percent of American Jewish households with children include adopted children, compared to the national rate of 3.7 percent. But unlike Americans in general, the survey notes, Jewish Americans are not having enough children to replace themselves.
Scott Simon — the sonorous voice of NPR’s “Weekend Edition” — has written a short, tender book about the two most important people in the world. At least to him. “Baby, We Were Meant for Each Other” recounts the arrival of his two daughters, Elise and Lina, from China, while telling the stories of other families changed by adoption.