Founded in 2017 by Rabbi Susan Silverman, Second Nurture has emerged as a loving, innovative model for fostering and adopting children. Leveraging the power of community is crucial to Silvermans vision of the adoption-fostering experience for families. Thats not surprising for a woman who hosts large weekly Shabbat lunches in the Jerusalem apartment she shares with her husband, solar power entrepreneur Yosef Abramowitz, and their five adult children who frequently visit home.
Never miss the best stories and events for families, children and teens! Get JewishBoston Plus Kids.
Silverman and Abramowitz were longtime residents of Newton before their aliyah (immigration) to Israel 15 years ago. During their years in Newton, they expanded their family of four by adopting two sons from Ethiopia. Adar came to the family in 1998 at the age of 9 months. Zamir joined them in 2006 at the age of 4. In between the adoptions, the couples third daughter was born. Silverman quips, We produce girls and adopt boys.
Second Nurture started to take shape five years ago as Silverman toured the United States and Canada promoting her book, Casting Lots: Creating a Family in a Beautiful, Broken World, a memoir about Adars adoption. As Silverman met hundreds of people, she realized more people would foster and adopt if they had a path laid out for them that included fellowship and support. With those caveats in mind, Silverman secured funding from sources that included the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption and Aviv Foundation. Thomas was the founder of Wendys fast-food restaurants and was himself adopted. From there, Second Nurture evolved into a unique three-part modelcohort, networks of support and community culturedistinct for its intentional and wholehearted embrace of community.
Silverman is convinced that pursuing foster care and adoption as a cohort that functions as a mutually supportive group is an important marker for success. The concept is the mainstay of Second Nurture. Networks of support include the wider membership of the communities where cohorts are based, and community culture is cultivated to introduce fostering and adoption as essential values within a community.
Currently, Silverman and her organization are working with three partner synagogues in Los Angeles County. Other synagogues are on deck, pending hiring additional staff. Silverman recently told JewishBoston: Theres way more interest than we have capacity for right now. I would love to open in Boston, but we need to fundraise more for that to happen. I hope in the next three years Second Nurture will land in Chicago and Boston.
Silverman recently appeared with her celebrity sibling, the comic Sarah Silverman, at a fundraiser for Second Nurture in Los Angeles. Introducing her big sister, the younger Silverman described her as kick-ass and awesome. She cited her sisters activism as a member of the board of Women of the Wall nd on behalf of African asylum seekers in Israel. The government motherf*****g backed off [from deporting the asylum seekers] and cited [Susies] movement as why, the younger Silverman said.
In a recent Zoom call, Silverman highlighted Second Nurtures history, plans for the organization and her experience as a foster sister.
On the personal history that was the catalyst for Silvermans work in fostering and adoption:
My parents were foster parents to two different girls at various times during my childhood. One girl was with us from the ages of 8 to 10, and the other girl lived with us when she was 16 and left when she was 18. I saw up close what it was like for kids who didnt have families of their own, and it always stuck with me that this was a terrible thing.
A memory that lives in me is the moment the 10-year-old left. I dont know where she was going to live next or why she left our house.She was sitting in the back seat of a car with a suitcase beside her, and bags of new clothes my parents got her on her lap. I stood by the car window, waving, but she was staring down, not meeting my eyes. She looked humiliated. Many years later, a friend said to me, You care passionately about kids getting families. Why dont you make that your focus? Do what you need to do to build that.
I knew when I built my family it would be partially through adoption. And then I realized the way I built my family and being a rabbi were deeply intertwined, which brought me to write Casting Lots, my theological and spiritual journey to adopting.
On the perils of aging out of the foster care:
Today, there are hundreds of thousands of kids outside of permanent, loving family care. Not only does that make for a shitty childhood, but aging out of foster care is the No. 1 feeder into human trafficking, homelessness, poverty and mass incarceration. My mission via Second Nurture is to go upstream and divert kids from that path by making sure they have what they need nowa family to hold them tightand a community to hold that family in raising a child or teen who has had a hard start in life.
On Second Nurtures successes:
We are currently working in Los Angeles County with three partner synagogues. We have recently launched in Columbus, Ohio, where the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption is. We have other synagogues waiting to work with us. We just need more staff power to make that happen. Each one of the Los Angeles County cohorts has about 20 members. And we have, at any given time, between 40 and 50 kids who are either being fostered or newly adopted.
The stories that are so meaningful to me are about the people who had thought about fostering but never saw a way to do it. They then see a path to it and join our cohorts to learn how to move forward. The other thing I find very moving is meeting the single moms who have a kid they had adopted from foster care, and the bio-mom has another child. Immediately the adoptive moms are contacted to try to keep bio-siblings together. Many of those women have said to us, We want to do this, but we only feel like we can do it because we know youve got us. It makes me cry every time there is this group of people who support each other in a way that ripples out to siblings being able to be raised together.
Never miss the best stories and events for families, children and teens! Get JewishBoston Plus Kids.
See more here:
Fostering and Adopting Children as a Spiritual Value - jewishboston.com
- Intentional Community and Capitalism - Shareable - April 10th, 2024 [April 10th, 2024]
- How alternative communities have evolved from pacifist communes to a solution to the ageing population - The Conversation - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Georgia Power Announced T. Dallas Smith named to Georgia ... - All On Georgia - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- CSRWire - Thought Leaders Gather for Critical Community ... - CSRwire.com - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- EPA centers diversity with first-ever environmental youth advisory council - Yahoo News - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Rigor, Relevance, & Reality: Education Collaboratory at Yale ... - Yale School of Medicine - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Gaza: UN experts call on international community to prevent ... - ReliefWeb - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Fathering Together Announces Acquisition of City Dads Group - PR Web - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Company to pay over $50 million in largest environmental lawsuit settlement in D.C. history: Health risks to the public - Yahoo News - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Student death is now part of the routine at Middlebury - The Middlebury Campus - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- We welcomed an abandoned dog into our family. But dog dumping ... - Kansas Reflector - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- The National Climate Assessment Goes Woke - Dallasweekly - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- A Conversation about History, Race and the Meaning of True ... - Philanthropy Roundtable - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- The color of community | WORLD - WORLD News Group - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Kindness has good benefits | News, Sports, Jobs - The Review - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Georgia Power Foundation awards grant for BIG Edge ... - Georgia Southern University Newsroom - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- "Chilling": Maryland lawmakers threaten to cut aid to immigrants ... - Salon - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Three water options come with high cost | News, Sports, Jobs - Evening Observer - November 18th, 2023 [November 18th, 2023]
- Welcome to the Team, Kintan! | Office of Immigrant Affairs - Philadelphia Water Department - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Fannie Mae Recognized for Its DEI Efforts - DSNews.com - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Fannie Mae Named 'Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion' and ... - Fannie Mae - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Focused on progress - Weekly Challenger - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Good Ancestors and Messengers of Hope - Digital Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- 'Make it intentional': 3-N-1 Trinity Services helps young ... - Longview News-Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- 'Latinistas' is the World's First All-Latina Fashion Doll Line - hiplatina.com - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- CSU Releases Findings of Three-Year Research Study on NAVA'S ... - InvestorsObserver - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Press Ganey's Physician of the Year on a cardiology 'game changer ... - Becker's Hospital Review - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- City Officials Join Summer Campers and Local Artists to Kick Off ... - Philadelphia Water Department - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Merrill and Linda Hutchinson on Communication for a Summer of ... - Digital Journal - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Feathers installed as Rotary District Governor | News, Sports, Jobs - The Inter-Mountain - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Theatre at St. Luke's: All Shook Up to The Little Mermaid - Orlando Sentinel - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Culture wars rage on, forcing marketers to decide whether to ... - Marketing Dive - July 11th, 2023 [July 11th, 2023]
- Some thoughts on governance of the local variety - Resilience - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- 988 is saving lives, but more awareness and support needed - Alton Telegraph - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- The Limitations of Eco-Anxiety | Atmos - Atmos Magazine - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Welcome Back: How JAPER Becomes Real for the People in Brazil ... - Just Security - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Now Is the Time to Go All In on Heat Pumps - Rocky Mountain Institute - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) celebrates 40th ... - Elizabethton.com - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Discrimination or bureaucracy? A Jewish community in Germany ... - The Jerusalem Post - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- AAP Rules And Guidelines For How To Keep Kids Safe From Cars - Fatherly - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Pine County Sheriff's Report and Jail Roster | Communities ... - Pine City Pioneer - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Is a Hanan Ben Ari concert the solution for Jewish divisions? - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- What the LGBT wedding website Supreme Court ruling means for ... - The Atlanta Journal Constitution - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Out at CHM hosts its first 2023 event - Windy City Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- 'The time is now': Longtime friends launch support organization for ... - The Lawrence Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- La Vergne Receives Municipal League Award for Excellence in Fire ... - rutherfordsource.com - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- UW System offers status update on its five-year strategic plan (day 1 ... - University of Wisconsin System - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Hawaii Native Krystal Ka'ai Tackles Equity And Anti-Asian Hate For ... - Honolulu Civil Beat - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- News & events / News - Diocese of York - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Businesses that address social or environmental problems often ... - The Conversation - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- EFOC: Is This Happening To Me Because I'm Black? Combating ... - Essence - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Stations Telling Diverse Stories With Sponsored Segments from ... - Next TV - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Ex-Prisoners Face Headwinds as Job Seekers, Even as Openings ... - The New York Times - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Bungie weighs in on the current argument raging through the ... - PC Gamer - July 6th, 2023 [July 6th, 2023]
- Myanmar: Dire humanitarian and human rights situation ... - OHCHR - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Invest in our public schools - EdNC - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- N.Y. stands up for LGBTQ equality: Having Pride 12 months a year - New York Daily News - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- NASCAR, Bubba Wallace bring 'Bubba's Block Party' to Chicago - Daytona Times - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Fifth Third's 2022 Sustainability Report Shares Progress on Priorities ... - InvestorsObserver - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Top LGBTQ+ Financial Influencers to Learn from in 2023 - Investopedia - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- 'Retirement is so traditional,' try periodic retirement to figure out ... - Morningstar - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous people brings federal ... - New Mexico In Depth - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The Astounding Power of Intentional Productivity (And How You Can ... - The Good Men Project - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- What SCOTUS ruling on affirmative action means for UL schools - Louisiana Radio Network - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Community managers find the path for developers and players to ... - VentureBeat - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The EPA was ready to clean up 'Cancer Alley.' Then it backed off. - Grist - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- What Bidenomics Means for Workers and Families - UpNorthNews - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- The vital link between a healthy press and our republic - The Fulcrum - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Death, Drag, and Decadence shows off the queer joy of DnD - Wargamer - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Israeli Expats in the U.S.: 'I Speak English, but I Don't Speak American' - Tablet Magazine - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- NTSB hearings end with talks on tanker conditions, fire's aftermath - Marietta Times - June 30th, 2023 [June 30th, 2023]
- Can 'Friendship Clubs' Cure the Loneliness Created by Remote Work? - The San Francisco Standard - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- 'Men in Blazers' Podcast Comes to Higher Ground to Talk Vermont ... - Seven Days - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Mindfulness, breathwork expert preaches value of slow living to Black and brown communities - Yahoo News - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Idaho's physician shortage is here. Here's what we can do about it. - Idaho Capital Sun - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- Awards Ceremony Shines Spotlight on Caltech's Trailblazers in ... - Caltech - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The African American Museum of Iowa Announces Juneteenth ... - River Cities Reader - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- US Supreme Court Rules Against Striking Drivers Who Abandoned ... - Engineering News-Record - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The Future of the Thomaston Green is Green (or should be) - PenBayPilot.com - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]
- The Elephant in the Ethernet Port - City Journal - June 4th, 2023 [June 4th, 2023]