How does it work? I'm still stuck on figuring out how Anna will relate to her older relatives, her religious heritage, etc. both adopted and biological. When we thank G-d in a few days for taking us out of Egypt, will she too feel that she can in some way connect to the story, even though she wasn't born Jewish? Or will she feel a disconnect, finding it easier to relate to being African American. When I tell her stories about my grandparents and great-grandparents - the stories that my mother told me before bed - will Anna really and truly feel that they too are her relatives? Or will she always look at them as mine?

I think that having Anna involved in the preparations for the holiday as much as possible will help - or at least it makes me feel a little better. We are trying to provide good memories to help her create ties to her Judaism - encouraging things, setting good examples and providing her with a strong education. But there is still that fear within me that she will come to resent all of this and when she grows up perhaps she will have trouble finding a place for herself in all this.

As I sit here, mildly concerned about Anna's future, I remember that teenagers rebel, young adults experiment with finding their own place, and whether Anna decides to remain Jewish when she grows up may actually have little to do with the fact that she was adopted and converted. So I don't really worry, but I do think about it from time to time. I do make sure that she is happy in the Jewish school we are sending her to, and we try to make Shabbat and holidays exciting. Right now, it's the little things that make her happy - like when we go food shopping, I let her pick out a special treat for Shabbat. But I'm not sure what she's more excited with - having a treat for Shabbat or being able to pick something out for herself. And maybe that's the point - we can provide all the foundation that we want, but in the end, she'll have to pick something out for herself.