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| Claire's Adoptive Parents |
Following a divorce, a loss, and a crisis of faith, Claire Blumenthal Zeitler went in search of her biological parents and her Arab heritage. After ten years living in Arab countries, Claire returned to Judaism and the Jewish community.
At six weeks old, Claire was adopted by an observant Jewish family. Every Friday night, recalls Claire, “my mother used to sit me down after lighting candles and say, ‘We love you. You are not born from my tummy, but you're born from my heart.’ And then she would answer whatever questions I had. She would reassure me if I didn't feel loved. She was just completely there for me. So I grew up in a very happy, healthy home.”
Despite these weekly reassurances, young Claire always had a fear of abandonment. Her mother remembers finding a stash of sandwiches, which three-year-old Claire had hidden in her sock drawer, ready to go just in case her parents left her somewhere. “I used to climb into my mother’s bed every single night because of the fear that she won’t be there in the morning,” recalls Claire.
Claire’s adoptive family had one biological son, seven years older than her. Her father was a doctor with a busy medical practice, and he was rarely home during the week.
When Claire started school, things got harder. She struggled academically and was taken out of regular classes for remedial tutoring. She was also bullied by her classmates and spent her school breaks alone. Despite her parents’ love and devotion, “I was completely insecure.”
As a child, Claire had wondered about her biological parents but had no way of finding out who they were due to the legal nature of closed adoption. She knew that her biological parents were not Jewish and that she was converted to Judaism.
