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Lori Prashker-Thomas

Mar 3, 2026, 7:18 PM

Adoption, Faith, and the Voice of a Jewish Birthmother

Photo courtesy of ShadowCatcher Photography - This design was created on Canva.com on March 3, 3036. It is copyrighted by Lori Prashker-Thomas/ShadowCatcher Photography (Paid Subscription)

In Jewish tradition, we are taught that every soul is intentional. Every life carries divine purpose. And yet, for birthmothers in the Jewish community, adoption is often spoken about in hushed tones—if it is spoken about at all. I know...

Jan 20, 2026, 7:25 AM

Freedom From. Freedom to. Gotcha Day #16

January 19, 2026 Rosh Hodesh Shevat Dearest Zahara, Sixteen. SIXTEEN. Ten years and six more since that first Gotcha Day. You landed in my arms your own person. Solid, Strong. LOUD. Cute, too. You arrived without much warning. Just a few days to...

Shmuly Yanklowitz

Jan 15, 2026, 11:11 PM

When Giving Up a Child is the Most Loving Thing a Parent Can Do

In our tradition, children are divine gifts. As parents, we bestow blessings on our children, who in turn are the blessings in our lives. It may therefore seem counterintuitive what I am about to say, but here it goes: Sometimes...

Lori Prashker-Thomas

Jul 2, 2025, 9:27 PM

Chukat and the Cost of Silence

Photo courtesy of Lois Ann Photography
This design was created on Canva.com on July 2, 2025 It is copyrighted by Lori Prashker-Thomas/ShadowCatcher Photography (Paid Subscription)

Every year, as Jewish communities gather to mark holidays, milestones, and life transitions, we speak about identity, legacy, and memory. But there is one conversation that often remains unspoken in our shul, synagogues, community centers, and even around our...

Jul 21, 2024, 6:47 PM

Abortion: A Pragmatic Perspective

For the purposes of this article, we will adopt the definition of abortion from YaleMedicine.org: “Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy before the fetus can survive outside the uterus. It can occur spontaneously, known as a miscarriage, or...

Susan Silverman

Jun 3, 2024, 10:55 AM

How my adopted son taught me the glory of the I-Thou relationship

Rabbi Susan Silverman, second from left, with her children, including Zamir, second from the right. (Courtesy)

I have sung Shema thousands of times over the years, but I will never forget singing it to Zamir on the floor of an Ethiopian boarding house

May 6, 2024, 7:12 AM

Dr. Janusz Korczak, Loving Every Child

Dr Janusz Korczak and his Children. Photo (c) Kibbutz Lochamei Hagetaot, 2024

This Yom Hashoah U'Gevurah (the full name of this day is, "Holocaust and Heroes Memorial Day") we mark 81 years since the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The theme of resistance does not just refer to armed resistance, but also to...

Joshua Z. Rokach

Aug 30, 2023, 5:10 AM

The cloud over US Jewish child placement

Two recent US Supreme Court cases and a new lawsuit in Massachusetts cast doubt on the role of religion in US child placement. State laws operate under the principle of the best interest of the child. In applying that...

Lori Prashker-Thomas

Jul 25, 2023, 2:26 PM

The Dark Side of Adoption from a Jewish Birthmother’s Point of View

Pregnant and alone - Confusion sets in with no one to guide her.

This design was created on Canva.com on July 24, 2023. It is copyrighted by Lori Prashker-Thomas/ShadowCatcher Photography (Paid Subscription)

Why don't people want to talk about the dark side of adoption from a Jewish birthmother's point of view? Well, there are many reasons why people may not want to talk about the dark side of adoption from a Jewish...

Moshe-Mordechai van Zuiden

Jun 27, 2023, 7:19 AM

Israel ignores thousands of Gay men eager to parent

So much for it being an LGBTQIA+ oasis in the Middle East The paper headlines: 'Israel has over 11,000 at-risk children but no foster homes for them.' Israeli couples must be half millionaires to afford overseas surrogacy. Of the 10 million Israelis,...

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