Israeli Author Unveils Family Secret of Aunt Who Gave Child Up for Adoption

During a bar mitzvah celebration, Rina Grinwald learned from a cousin that a woman claiming to be her aunt's biological daughter had come to Israel from the United States to open her adoption records. The woman, who had lost her adoptive parents, discovered that her birth mother, Rina's aunt Rachel, had passed away three months earlier. Rina was shocked by this revelation but her parents confirmed that Rachel had indeed given a child up for adoption and had obsessively searched for her thereafter, even following her at school until threatened by the adoptive parents.

Rina Grinwald, 75, a Tel Aviv resident, editor, and author, incorporated this family story into her literary work. Her aunt Rachel, who had a complicated life marked by an unwanted pregnancy in 1935 under the British Mandate, gave birth in Palestine after a sham marriage to immigrate. Rachel served in the British Army's women's corps during World War II, later married multiple times, and tragically lost two husbands before passing away in her seventies.

Grinwald’s book, inspired by Rachel's story, explores themes of motherhood and personal sacrifice. She relates her own struggles balancing motherhood and career to the character Daphne in her novel. After years focused on family, Grinwald began publishing novels at age 69 and has since released five books. She sees her writing as a fulfillment of her personal and creative aspirations.

The discovery of Rachel’s secret child and the emotional complexity surrounding it provided Grinwald with rich material for her fiction. She remains in close contact with her cousin and the adopted daughter, who is aware of the book though she does not read Hebrew. Grinwald reflects on the societal pressures on women of her aunt’s generation, suggesting that military service offered a socially acceptable escape from domestic burdens.

Grinwald’s literary career blossomed later in life, and she feels content with the timing and balance she has achieved between family and personal fulfillment.