Under the Same Night Sky

Chana Bilek’s voice is warm and inviting. As we speak over the phone, I hear the clatter of dishes being washed and the soft voices of children who’ve sneaked out of bed to listen to their mother’s story once again…. It’s a night in the life of a typical Jewish mother. And yet I know that Chana’s life is anything but typical.

Chana, originally Yoon-Hee, was born in South Korea in 1982. When she was a mere two years old, she was given over into the care of an orphanage. She was sickly, and the staff at the orphanage nursed her back to health over several months. They then referred her out for adoption.

Meanwhile, across the world in Virginia, Jack and Marcy Stein* were looking into adopting a child. The Steins were elated when they received word that a little South Korean girl was available for them. With the paperwork complete, they drove up to Baltimore Washington Airport to meet their new daughter.

It was a nervous little Yoon-Hee who came off the plane with her social worker to greet her new parents. Having refused to eat anything but chocolate and water on her long trip, Yoon-Hee immediately threw up all over her new father as she entered their car. Despite the rough introduction, Jack and Marcy turned out to be, in her words, “My caregivers and best friends.”