Choosing the right school for your child is something that every parent deals with in some way or another. Some public school systems have programs that concentrate more on math or science or the arts. Sometimes parents move to a specific neighborhood because the schools in that district are known to be of a high caliber. I think that all parents wonder how their kid will "fit in" throughout his or her school years, and this issue is probably more on the minds of adoptive parents. Throw in the "Jewish" factor into the mix, and choosing the right school for your child becomes a big deal.

I think that Jewish adoptive families - especially those that are multiracial as well - need to work hard to create a sense of normalcy for their children. While giving a child a Jewish education is extremely important, one must consider carefully the options as far as what will be an appropriate fit for your child.

Something that adoption specialists and veteran adoptive parents talk about is how important your child's friends are, as well as your own circle of friends as parents. This is something to consider when choosing a school or Jewish education program for your child. Will your child be the only one who is adopted? If your child is of a different race than the majority of the school, will it matter?

With Anna, we decided to send her to an Orthodox day school. Although the school has, to our knowledge, not dealt with a Black/ African American child in the past, they have had students of other races and seem to be open to discussing any issues that arise. We had a meeting with the principal before enrolling our daughter to talk openly about our concerns on sending her to the school, and have had a generally positive experience there.

But, keeping in mind that Anna doesn't get to see or interact with many people who look like her during the school day, we make sure that our weekends are full of multicultural activities, and try to keep a diverse group of friends.