ADOPTION THE RELIGIOUS CONSIDERATIONS QUESTION When the child of a non-Jewish mother is adopted by a Jewish family, is the child automatically Jewish? cording to Torah precept, he confers holiness upon himself, since he has employed his body for the needs of his soul. Furthermore, the Torah views our social relationships as additional opportunities for achieving holiness. The famous dictum, "Love your neighbor as yourself' (Lev. 19:18), appears in the Sedrah of Kecloshim Tih'yu ("You shall be holy"). This context indicates that achieving har- mony in our interpersonal in- teractions requires behavior which does not always come naturally to us: the exercise of sensitivity to the needs of others in our social sphere, as ordained by God. Just as the Torah's concept of holiness implies that each Jew can go beyond his in- dividual nature, so does it im- ply that a "holy nation" can transcend the most fun- . damental aspect of nature — time. Time is sanctified by the Jewish nation, because God has empowered the Jewish court to determine the begin- ning of each month, automatically affecting the arrangement of the festival cycle (which is mentioned in Lev. 23-24). Moreover, the Sabbatical and Jubilee year cycles (Lev. 21-25) are also dependent on the court's influence over the calendar. From a Kabbalistic point of view, the festivals provide a special opportunity for the soul to relive the spiritual emanations of Crea- tion, the Exodus, and the Revelation, thus freeing it from temporal history. From the perspective of a "holy nation," time is no longer viewed as inexorable, but rather as a mechanism created to serve the needs of the soul. It is interesting to note that while Leviticus represents on- ly one-fifth of the Torah, it contains almost half of the 613 commandments. The pur- suit of holiness and service to God is not instinctual to man, just as perfect pitch is not automatic in a newly assembled violin. But just as finely tuned violin strings ex- press the innate tone of the instrument, so, too, a life refined by mitzvah perfor- mance and Divine service evokes the full potential of the Jewish soul. Thus do the commandments serve as guideposts on the path to holiness. ❑ When the rabbis speak of paradise and hell . . . these are only metaphors for the agony of sin and the hap- piness of virtue. —Kaufmann Kohler ANSWER No. The only thing that can alter a child's status is conversion according to Halacha. DISCUSSION ITEM The COR is called by a religious school to determine whether a child enrolled by adoptive parents may be accepted as a student because of .a questionable conver- sion process. ITEM A child is prepared for Bar Mitzavh and in- vitations are mailed out, when the Rabbi becomes aware of the child's adoption and recognizes that questionable conversion procedures were followed. ITEM A wedding is scheduled and shortly before the ceremony it becomes apparent that there is a question of whether one of the parties is Jewish because of an incomplete religious adoption. As a result of the increase of adoption of .children of non- Jewish mothers, the problem of Halachically valid conver- sions has become a pressing issue. Many adoptions are made without the knowledge of Jewish law and the means and circumstances by which it may be applied. CONVERSION ACCORDING TO JEWISH LAW When a child is adopted, he does not automatically become Youth Group presents Temple Israel's . PURIM CARNIVAL March 22 .0i= Noon - 3:00 Tickets: $3.00 in advance $3.75 at door Come have some fun! TEMPLE ISRAEL 5725 Walnut Lake Road West Bloomfield • 661-5700 Kosins Also necessary is that the child converted be raised in accor- dance with Jewish law as perscribed in the "Shnlchan Orach", the code of Jewish laws, and that the home of the adopting parents be kosher and the child be given a good Jewish education. WE ARE READY TO HELP A PRESSING ISSUE "Where You Come First" Jewish. Even though the adoption process may have been finalized, it does not affect the child's religious status. The only thing that can alter his status is conversion according to Jewish law, including the three basic steps for conversion in full conformity with Halacha. 1. Having a bris (circumcision) specifically performed for the purpose of conversion. 2. Acceptance to fulfill all the mitzvohs. 3. Mikvah rite for conversion. FUR STORAGE (Even If Purchased Elsmihere) Uptown Southfield Rd, at 11 1 /2 Mile • 559-3900 The Council of Orthodox Rabbis stands ready to assist in the areas of both conversion and adoption. Our staff will deal sensitively and confidentially to aid you in any way possible. Council of Orthodox Rabbis 17071 WEST TEN MILE ROAD SOUTHFIELD, MI 48075 • 559-5005 DO YOU HAVE A LOVED ONE IN A NURSING HOME? The responsibility of caring for the elderly can be diffi- cult. There are times you just cannot be there. 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