Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers URL: www.scjfaq.org/faq/21-01-13.html

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Question 21.1.13:
Entering the Covenant: What about an adopted child?

An adopted child is treated according to the status of the natural parents (assuming that they are Jewish). If the adopted child has been converted, pidyon haben does not apply. Baby girls should be named in the synagogue; baby boys should be circumcised at the appropriate time. If the adopted boy is more than 8 days old and has not been circumcised, they should undergo the surgery as soon as it is legally and medically permissable. If the child has been circumcized without the appropriate ritual, your rabbi should be consulted as to the appropriate manner of initiating the child into the community of Israel.

The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.

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© (c) 1993-2004 Daniel P. Faigin <maintainer@scjfaq.org>