Yesh Tikva
A Jewish Fertility Community
All Paths Forward
Honoring your journey, wherever it may lead
Sometimes families don’t come together in the way we planned. At Yesh Tikva, we want you to know that even in those moments, you are not alone. We are here to create space to gently explore what comes next—whether that’s adoption, donor conception, surrogacy, fostering, or embracing a life without children in your home.
Here, you’ll find resources created through a Jewish lens and with a strong focus on ethical family building practices. As ever, Yesh Tikva offers nonjudgmental support to help you honor your grief, hold onto your hope, and begin to imagine the path that feels right for you.
Grieving What Is
As you consider moving in a different direction, we want to acknowledge the real and layered losses that come when your plans for a family do not lead to the outcome you dreamed of. It may be the loss of a biological connection, the loss of a pregnancy, or the loss of a vision of family that felt woven into your identity. For some, it is the loss of time, energy, and financial stability; for others, the loss of feeling “like everyone else” or of the rituals and milestones that come easily to peers. Just as there isn’t one way forward, there isn’t only one way to process and grieve. Allowing yourself to walk through your pain, does not diminish hope, it honors the depth of what has been carried and creates room to gently begin imagining what is possible.
Donor Conception
Donor conception involves using donated sperm, eggs, or embryos to build a family. This can open doors for single parents by choice, same-sex couples, and heterosexual couples facing infertility or hereditary concerns. At Yesh Tikva, we stand with advocacy groups led by donor-conceived people in their encouragement for transparency, honesty, and ethics—always centering the future child’s right to know their story while supporting the parent or parents navigating this choice. From a Jewish perspective, donor conception has raised unique discussions around identity, disclosure, and halacha (Jewish law).
We are proud to offer a larger resource on donor conception to help you explore this pathway.
Surrogacy
Gestational surrogacy allows another person to carry a pregnancy on behalf of intended parents. An embryo is created from the intended parents’ or donors’ gametes and is transferred to the carrier.
While our foremothers’ and forefathers’ stories remind us that the concept of surrogacy is not new to Jewish history, today’s process requires careful consideration of legal, emotional, and ethical responsibilities. Yesh Tikva offers support as families navigate surrogacy with fairness, consent, and respect for surrogates and intended parents alike.
Adoption
Adoption is the opportunity to welcome a child into your family who was born to others. This path may involve domestic or international processes, infant or older child placements, and open or closed arrangements with birth families. In Jewish tradition, adoption is seen as a sacred act of love and responsibility, yet it also carries complexities—especially for the child, whose story begins with loss. Yesh Tikva supports the rights of all members of the adoption constellation and emphasizes the importance of ethical practices that prioritize the well-being of the child and honor the dignity of birth parents and adoptive families alike.
We are proud to offer a larger resource on adoption to help you explore this pathway.
Foster Parenting
Fostering provides temporary or sometimes permanent care for children who cannot remain in their family of origin typically due to abuse, neglect, trauma and/or a severe lack of resources. In Judaism, caring for vulnerable children reflects the value of arevut (mutual responsibility). Some foster families do eventually adopt their foster children, while others offer stability and love during times of transition. Yesh Tikva acknowledges that the goal of foster care is first and foremost to reunify the child with their original support system as opposed to adoption by another family. We also encourage deep reflection on the unique joys and challenges this path entails, always centering the child’s needs.
Fostering is discussed further in our adoption resource.
Childlessness
Our Mindfulness page is a growing space dedicated to nurturing calm and presence during the challenges of infertility. Right now, you’ll find a small selection of guided meditations designed to help you slow down, breathe, and create a moment of peace in the midst of uncertainty. Though simple, these offerings are here to support you in reconnecting with yourself and finding grounding when you need it most—and we hope to expand them over time.
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