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May 25, 2012
Mark Clayton: Is Hillary's State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite
Erika Bolstad: Temple cancels Wasserman Schultz speech
The Kosher Gourmet by Ethel G. Hofman: The former president of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, whose members included the likes of Julia Child, is back with contemporary Shavous cuisine: Ruby Fruit Soup, Sweet Noodle Kugel with Cheese, Key Lime Curd, Calsone Casserole Frittata with Wild Mushrooms, Sun-dried tomatoes and Olives, Baked Tilapia with Pepper Cheese Cream and Brown Sugar Shortbread
May 24, 2012
Jeff Jacoby: The peace process battered Israel's reputation
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Chris Farrell: Are We in a Tech Bubble?
The Kosher Gourmet by Penelope Wall: PHILLY CHEESE STEAKS --- hold the steak!
May 23, 2012
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The Kosher Gourmet by Emma Christensen:A simple way to do fish right
May 22, 2012
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Thomas M. Anderson: Walking Away From a Mortgage
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: Enjoy a celebration of the most rich and layered flavors: Black bean, sweet potato and quinoa chili
May 21, 2012
Mark Clayton: Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks
Howard LaFranchi: NATO summit: Who will foot the bill for long-term Afghanistan security?
Chris Farrell : Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: Social anxiety disorder --- or just shy?
Guy Jackson : Victim's father regrets death of Lockerbie bomber
The Kosher Gourmet by Mario Batali: Famed chef's veal shoulder farsumagru: A festive meat course for late spring
May 18, 2012
Rabbi Berel Wein: Striving: The People of the Book's Book for (All of) the People
Steven Goldberg: 5 Great Stock Picks and the Exchange-Traded Fund that Owns Them
Mary Pickett, M.D.: Ask the Harvard Experts: Don't be forced into gluten-free lifestyle based merely on a doctor's false-positive test
The Kosher Gourmet by Carolyn Malcoun: DIY healthy lunchbox treats: HOMEMADE FRUIT BARS for kids and brown-bagging adults alike
May 17, 2012
Warren Richey: Teacher fired for being unwed and pregnant can sue religious school, court rules
Josh Mitnick: Netanyahu's 'centrist' coalition is already proving it's anything but
Steven Goldberg: Earn Dividends in Emerging Markets with This WisdomTree ETF
Amina Khan: Research links coffee to lower death rates
The Kosher Gourmet by Faith Duran : Cheesy Potato Breakfast Casserole with Cheddar and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
May 16, 2012
Carmen Terzic, M.D., Ph.D. : Mayo Clinic Medical Edge: A variety of exercises can help improve balance
Melissa Healy: National strategy on Alzheimer's disease aims to halt it by 2025
The Kosher Gourmet by Joyce White : GOODNESS GRACIOUS: GREENS! 4 winning recipes that are no longer just for down-home folks (Includes expert tips & techniques)
May 15, 2012
Kristen Chick: Obama administration resumes arms sales to Bahrain despite serious unresolved human rights issues. Activists feel abandoned
Pat Mertz Esswein: Homes are now affordable again and mortgage rates are low. What you need to know before you buy
Kathy Kristof: Our Practical Investor Fights Inflation with These 6 Investments
Sue Hubbard, M.D.: The Kid's Doctor: Lactose intolerant young child? Check again
The Kosher Gourmet by Kathy Hunt: Spread a Little Excitement with EXOTIC CONDIMENTS (4 RECIPES)
May 14, 2012
Lisa Gerstner: How to Protect Your Identity, Finances If You Lose Your Phone
Harvard Health Letters: Heart disease and dementia
The Kosher Gourmet by Megan Gordon: MANGO COCONUT OAT MORNING MUFFINS are a bright but hearty delight
May 11, 2012
Jessica L. Anderson: Get the Best Deal on a Used Car
Jett Stone: Forget face-lifts and fake knees. Scientists have seen the fountain of youth --- and it's broccoli
The Kosher Gourmet by Chef Mario Batali: The famed chef's vegetable dish that tastes true to the season: FAVAS AND SUGAR SNAP PEAS WITH POTATOES AND TARRAGON
May 10, 2012
Sergei L. Loiko: Putin sends warning to U.S., NATO in Victory Day speech at Red Square
Mary Rourke: How being a 'mentch' got Vidal Sasoon his start and fighting in Israel's War of Independence provided him with confidence and a strong sense of his own identity
Jeff Bertolucci: Get Home Phone Service for Less Than $10 a Month
The Kosher Gourmet by Betty Rosbottom: Gleaming with its golden, crimson, and snowy white hues, this silken smooth and creamy STRAWBERRY ORANGE TRIFLE looks impressive, but is easy to prepare
May 9, 2012
Sharon Palmer, R.D. How you can reduce your risk -- or delay -- chronic diseases associated with aging
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Jewish World Review
Dec. 18, 2009 / 1 Teves 5770
Giving Thanks for Life
By
Mona Charen
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http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Mia's story is good holiday fare. That must have been what the
Washington Post editors were thinking when they put her smiling face on
the front page. Whether they considered the deeper implications is not
so clear, as we shall see.
Mia Fleming is a 20-year-old college student who was adopted as an
infant. This year, she set out to find not her birthparents, but the two
teenagers who found her on a Fairfax, Va., townhouse's front steps.
Emily Yanich and Chris Astle were both 15 in 1989. They acknowledge that
on the afternoon in question, they "may" have walked to the 7-Eleven to
buy cigarettes. When they returned to their neighborhood, they heard a
baby crying. "I looked around and noticed that there weren't any moms
out there pushing their kids around in a stroller," Astle recalled. The
two teens followed the cries and found a bundle on the landing of a
townhouse "where it didn't seem anyone was at home." They found the
dark-eyed baby girl wrapped in orange towels, her umbilical cord still
attached.
After frantically knocking on the townhouse door without result, Astle
and Yanich, holding the crying infant, tried to decide on the best
course. The Post recounted their thinking: "Had someone forgotten the
baby? Was she hungry? Should they go back to the 7-Eleven and get some
food? Should they take her? Would they get in trouble?"
Shocked and uncertain, they took the baby to Yanich's stepfather, who
called the police. In short order the emergency vehicles arrived and the
baby (who was estimated to be 12 hours old) was whisked off to the
hospital. Later that day, a nurse called to tell them that the child was
healthy and was going to be just fine.
And she was. A couple who already had one adopted child eagerly embraced
the opportunity to adopt her. This month, 20 years later, Mia Fleming
managed to contact her two guardian angels through Facebook. Her message
was tentative: "Hi. I'm sorry to bother you, but if you are the Chris
Astle I was looking for then I just want to thank you. You and Ms.
Yanich found me on someone's doorstep when I was an infant. I don't
really know what else to say, but thank you."
Fleming speaks for millions of adopted children. It's pretty basic.
Everyone (excepting only the pathological) is grateful to have been
given a chance at life. Fleming's simple gratitude contrasts with the
fatuous nonsense often peddled in the media that adoption is always
traumatic. It isn't. Yet even if it were, isn't it better to be alive?
Yes, some adoptees struggle with questions of identity, but life is full
of challenges. In other ways, adoptees are actually better off than the
average American child. A Search Institute study found that 55 percent
of adopted teenagers reported high self-esteem compared with 45 percent
of others. This may be because adoptive families have lower-than-average
rates of divorce, and/or because adopting couples want children very
badly.
Fleming's birthmother abandoned her in a relatively safe place. The same
could not be said of many infants found in public restrooms, train
stations, and even dumpsters around the time she was born. In response,
all 50 states (but not the District of Columbia) have now adopted safe
haven or "Baby Moses" laws permitting women to relinquish newborns "no
questions asked" within a few days of birth a sad necessity.
Baby Moses has inspired one more entrant into the compassionate network
of organizations hoping to help women with crisis pregnancies. In the
past 35 years, thousands of such groups have sprouted around the country
like wildflowers. But until now, none was specifically focused on Jewish
women. The Bible (Exodus: Chapter I, verse 15) relates the story of
Shifra and Puah, the midwives who refused Pharaoh's order to kill the
male children of the Israelites. "But the midwives feared G-d, and did
not as the King of Egypt commanded them." December marked the debut of
"In Shifra's Arms" (Inshifrasarms.org), the first Jewish crisis
pregnancy group (in whose founding I played a small role). Here, Jewish
women struggling with life-and-death decisions will find support,
information, and resources on alternatives to abortion.
Mia's story is heartwarming. But one cannot read it without thinking of
something else the millions who cannot give thanks. Each year, 1.2
million children in America are aborted. If they were placed for
adoption, they'd presumably want to thank someone as well. The goal of
In Shifra's Arms, like its sister organizations, is to ensure that more
Mias get the chance to be grateful.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
Comment on JWR contributor Mona Charen's column by clicking here.
Mona Charen Archives
© 2006, Creators Syndicate
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