I’m 20 and I’m pregnant with my first child. My boyfriend and I are not married and we agree we are not ready to raise a baby at this point, we are both still in college and not living independently. We would like to have a good family adopt our child, but we want to make sure the baby is raised in the Jewish faith. We are both practicing Jews and this is very important to us. We are afraid if we go through an adoption agency, there will be no guarantee that the baby will go to a Jewish family, and we will have no way of knowing what happens. Is there any adoption group or process we can go through to ensure that our baby is raised in our faith? Is there some type of contract that could be signed with the adoptive parents? Our families are willing to help us hire a Jewish lawyer if they can help us with this.

I want to divorce my husband, he’s been physically and emotionally abusive to me for years. Our children are grown and there is nothing financially to fight over. I don’t want anything from him and my family will help support me and get me back on my feet once this marriage is over. However, my husband says he will never agree to a divorce. Under Jewish law, only he can give me the get and if he doesn’t, I have to stay married to him. Can a Jewish lawyer do something to require him to agree to an uncontested divorce, and if still won’t, how do I get out of this marriage? I fear for my safety from him at this point.