By Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal
SAN DIEGO — As I read the opening words of this week’s parasha, I found them to especially appropriate: “eleh toldot – these are the generations.” While the Torah is speaking about the generations, or story, of Isaac and his decendents, I was applying the words to my own family. This Sunday Judy and I will be in Cincinnati at the Simchat Banot (Rejoicing in the Birth of Girls) of our twin granddaughters, Esther Netanya and Michal Yedidya.
Normally my son and daughter-in-law would have kept their names a secret until the celebration. They had wanted to reveal their names at a welcoming and naming ceremony on the eighth day after their birth. However, the babies were born somewhat premature and although they are healthy, they were small. Their doctor wanted to keep them away from large crowds. Adam and Sarah opted not to wait for a public celebration to name them but instead, held a private naming ceremony in the hospital so we would not have to call them “Baby A” and “Baby B” for an extended period of time.
Although it was not prudent to have a public celebration for the twins soon after their birth, I agreed with Adam and Sarah’s desire to publicly celebrate their daughters’ birth as soon as possible. At one time when parents asked me what the time frame is for naming girls, I used to answer “Before they are married.” I stopped saying this because some of them took me seriously!
While there is no traditional time frame for naming girls, as there is with boys, it seems to me that putting off a welcoming celebration for months or even years makes the naming of baby girls not as important as the naming of baby boys. We should be just as eager to celebrate the birth of girls as we are for boys.
Today when parents ask me about naming baby girls, I usually tell them that it is preferable to do so within thirty days. While this is admittedly my personal opinion and there are no hard and fast rules, my sense is that discouraging delay elevates the place of women in our community.
Up to now I have only met Esther and Michal through photos, Skype, and an occasional telephone call (they talk, I listen!). I am very excited not only about being able to hold them, but to celebrate their entry into the Jewish community and the covenant of Abraham, Sarah, and the Jewish People.
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Rabbi Rosenthal is spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue in San Diego. He may be contacted at leonard.rosenthal@sdjewishworld.com