Is it Like a Christening? (Interfaith)
by Kelly Friedlander
“Is it like a Christening?”
“No… it’s more of a celebration of the birth of our daughter and confirmation that she is Jewish and a commitment to raise her Jewish, I think… so maybe it is like a christening?”
“Can she wear the family Christening gown? It’s been passed down and worn for generations and it would be so neat if – “
“No.” I cut her off abruptly. “I don’t think that would be respectful.”
“Oh. Ok.” My mom sighed through the phone; I could tell she was disappointed. “So ‘naming’ ceremony? Will she get a new name?”
“She will be given a Hebrew name: Hannah Esther Friedlander.”
“But, her name is already Hannah…” I could tell my mom was confused. I swirled the coffee in the mug I was holding, pondering how to answer my mom. Truthfully, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect from or of a Jewish baby naming. The major decision - to raise our children in a Jewish household – was made before we got married two years earlier. I grew up an Easter/Christmas Christian, and now self-identified as agnostic. My parents, who are not particularly religious either, were made aware that we would be raising any children we had Jewish shortly after our engagement.
My husband Greg, who was born and raised Jewish in Long Island, NY, said a baby naming was a minor Jewish celebration compared to others. We went back and forth on what exactly we wanted to do: have a small ceremony at our house surrounded by friends? Do something at the grandparents’ house? Outdoors?
We settled on having our baby naming done at the end of Judea Reform’s Shabbat for Tots program on a Friday evening. The idea of having Hannah’s first Jewish rite of passage in the temple that would become her spiritual home, surrounded by children who hopefully would be her friends as she grew up, in an uplifting and joyous environment, felt right to us.
So on February 12th, Greg and I stood in front of the seated and giddy children that had gathered for Shabbat for Tots. Hannah snuggled sleepily in a wrap against my chest, one of her wrists wrapped with a beautiful pearl bracelet that said “Hannah” in Hebrew, a baby naming gift from my confused but supportive mother. The ceremony was short and sweet; Rabbi Bach explained what a baby naming is and joyous children gathered around us, participating in a blessing of our new baby. As I looked down at my 6-week old daughter, kissing the top of her head and seeing her long eyelashes flutter, I knew we had found our spiritual home.
