Riding both the infertility roller coaster, and the adoption road as well, I was frustrated (and continue to be dismayed) by the lack of literature available from a Jewish angle. A few books exist on each topic, but many are very much out of date. Also, some are only written with one movement in mind, or don't adequately address topics that are important to others.

From time to time I'll be bringing in resources that I've found helpful or that you should be aware of that are out there. Starting close to "home," there is an article found on the main site which is basically a long excerpt from And Hannah Wept by Rabbi Michael Gold. The book - which I re-read recently - is published in 1993 and tells of Rabbi Gold's story of adopting their three children (while being a pulpit rabbi), as well as general information on dealing with infertility and going through adoption from a Jewish perspective. It was a good read, a thorough overview of the issues facing the Jewish couple, and is a good place to start. I enjoyed it.

There are, however, a few things to consider. Although this book was only published recently - in the early nineties - it is a bit outdated when it comes to fertility treatments (I guess it's not that recent after all). Also, the adoptions seem to have been completed much earlier than the book was written. Something else to keep in mind - this is a great book to read if you are not Orthodox, or if you are Orthodox with an open mind. There are a few comments made in the book that seemed to strike me as not the kindest of thoughts regarding the Orthodox movement's philosophy, but if you can get past that, its worth reading.

Overall - it's a good place to start your library of readings in Jewish Adoption.