The Gift Of Love

A trio of adopted siblings are wooed with affection and Jewish faith.

Brandon, 7, Brittany, 10, and Christopher, 9, each light their own
menorah with the help of their parents, Andy and Libby Beider.

RONELLE GRIER
Special to the Jewish News

W

hen Brittany, Christopher
and Brandon Beider lit the
Chanukah menorah this
year, they celebrated the miracle of a
loving family and a stable home, the
first they have ever known.
The three siblings — now 10, 9 and
7 — were adopted 18 months ago by
Andy and Libby Beider of West
Bloomfield. The children had spent
the previous four years in 10 different
foster homes after being removed from
their birth parents due to neglect.
The Beiders had seen videotapes of

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2004

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the three children, but they had not
actually met them before committing
to the adoption. Their first meeting
took place on, of all days, Mothers'
Day, in 2003, at the foster home in
Ohio where the children
were residing.
"When we walked in,
all three of them were
hiding under a table, so
we crawled under the
table and joined them," Libby said.
"I gave her [Libby] a hug to see if
she would be nice, then we came out
from under the table," said
Christopher, who was afraid he might
be left out or taken away from his

siblings. "I felt so happy when I knew
they weren't going to separate us."
The Beiders spent that first summer
bonding at their vacation home in
Traverse City, where the family
belongs to Congregation
Beth El, a small, Reform
temple.
Locally, they belong to
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek West Bloomfield,
B'nai Israel Center, where the children
are enrolled in Hebrew school, and
the family attends weekly Shabbat
services. Andy is president of the
synagogue men's club.
The children were surprised yet

COVER STORY

excited when they learned they would
become Jewish, a religion they knew
nothing about.
"What the heck is that?"
Christopher asked when he was told
he'd be learning Hebrew.
Still, they have adjusted well to
learning Hebrew, observing Shabbat
and even to keeping kosher, both in
and out of the home, although
Brittany says she misses being able to
go to McDonald's.
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff of Shaarey
Zedek arranged for the conversion of
Brittany, Christopher and Brandon,
which took place at the mikvah at
Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on

