MAC keynote: Nazis, war refugees, and child rescue

View a short excerpt from my keynote address to the Midwest Adoption Conference. I gave this talk in November 2008. This excerpt takes 18 minutes to watch.

It relates the story of the informal adoption during World War Two of a 13-year-old boy who later became my uncle. Major thanks go to my cousin, Teddi, for filling in a lot of missing details.

At the conference, I used this true family story to talk about the ethics of intercultural adoption. This story inspires me to rethink what it means to stand in solidarity with the persecuted and the oppressed. I hope it will inspire you, too.

Published on May 15, 2009 at 2:14 am Comments (2)

2 Comments

  1. On May 24, 2009 at 10:58 am Jeff Levine Said:

    Hi John,
    Lesley alerted me to this podcast. I enjoyed hearing the story of your uncle and getting an idea of what your work has been. I told Lesley that I was surprised that we had never met. I hope we get the chance because you seem like someone I would enjoy getting to know. Thank you for being such a competent spokesman for an important cause.
    Best Regards,
    Your cousin-in-law, Jeff Levine

  2. On May 26, 2009 at 6:56 am Sonia Nieto Said:

    John, this is a remarkable story. I especially like the idea of “child-sharing.” Wonderful work, as always!


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