Abstract

Marshalling her experience as an expert witness in court proceedings on non-consensual, confidential adoption in Israel, Mass describes legal proceedings following the Israeli state petition that declares children eligible for adoption because of alleged parental incapability, and explores the politics of state intervention in the parent/child relationship. The selected case studies present the testimonies of the children, the parents, the designated adoptive parents, and the state’s representatives, as well as the author’s own testimony.

“This is a brave book, likely to shake our traditional understandings about adoption and treating abused and neglected children out of home. The book gives voice to birth parents and to children in very interesting and painful ways.” · Vered Slonim-Nevo, Ben Gurion University of the Negev

“This is an important book, which examines the practice of adoption from the perspective of an expert who has been exposed to the defective operation of a bureaucratic system. It re-examines critically and rigorously the role of social workers in adoption cases and it does so in a forceful and compelling way.” · Alon Harel, Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Mili Mass is a social worker based in Israel, with an interest in the theoretical, clinical, and legal aspects of child welfare. She has served as an expert witness in non-consensual adoption proceedings, and has held a teaching position at the Paul Baerwald School of Social Work at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.