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u 3 New Modern Practices for Baby Girls My four-­ year-­ old son Yakir was once speaking proudly about his baby sister and remarked, “People have parties for their babies because the babies are new.” He also explained to me that God, parents, and a nurse all work together to make a new baby, and this is why God “comes to the party and says ‘hi’ to the new baby.” Intrigued, I asked Yakir if God welcomes the baby at the party, and he responded in the affirmative. Thus, even a young child instinctively recognizes a religious imperative to welcome every newborn. The story that unfolds in this chapter is about how modern innovators have applied this idea of initiating every newborn into the Jewish people by building Jewish rituals for baby girls practically from scratch. In these modern rituals, which first appeared in the 1970s, a baby girl is named and/ or recognized in a religious framework, and she participates in the event. While many different names are used to refer to this ritual form, one is Simchat Bat which means “Celebration of a Daughter.” Simchat Bat is the generic term used here to refer to the full range of rituals that have been created since the 1970s in primarily Ashkenazic communities, and which consist of something more than an aliyah, Mi Shebairach, celebratory meal, or kiddush. These new practices have developed in a predominantly Ashkenazic framework since each Sephardic and Mizrachic community has its own set of relevant customs. The Simchat Bat is predicated on a belief that daughters should be formally welcomed into the Jewish community. The original motivation for creating these practices was a perception that no satisfactory traditional means of commemorating and celebrating the birth of a girl had developed in Ashkenazic communities, and that the Simchat Bat filled this void. This motivation remains palpable among parents holding welcoming ceremonies for their daughters in traditional communities where the standard practice new modern practices for baby girls 51 is an aliyah and a Mi Shebairach and nothing more. By contrast, some laypeople in progressive communities today may be so accustomed to their synagogue ’s particular Simchat Bat practice that they may not feel that a ritual for girls had been previously lacking.1 While the Simchat Bat is widely practiced in liberal communities and increasingly popular in some traditional communities, it is not performed among the ultra-­ Orthodox. It is noteworthy that the Artscroll Siddur in the Ashkenazic nusach (style), which is commonly used across the Orthodox spectrum, does not include any ritual for newborn girls, aside from a Mi Shebairach in the Shabbat Torah service. (The Artscroll Siddur in the Sephardic nusach does not even include the traditional Zeved HaBat ceremony .) Furthermore, the lesser-­known Artscroll Simchah Handbook, a compendium of liturgies for Jewish celebrations,2 does not make any mention of rituals for newborn girls, although it devotes many pages to an array of other life-­ cycle events. It also includes liturgies for a siyyum (completion of a course of Torah study), the entry of a Torah scroll to a synagogue, and the dedication of a new home—­ occasions that, while significant, are arguably less momentous than a birth of a daughter. One dominant feature of the Simchat Bat genre is its overall variability. The appearance of Simchat Bat ceremonies in the 1970s led to an explosion of creative energy that has spawned to date “thousands upon thousands” of unique welcoming ceremonies.3 This diversity means that there are no standard Simchat Bat prototypes. It also means that a small selection of “sample ceremonies” does not effectively communicate the full extent and impact of the Simchat Bat practice. Nonetheless, a Simchat Bat frequently follows a loose outline that consists of welcoming or acknowledging the baby girl; reciting prayers, blessings , readings and/or performing a ritual; naming the baby; explaining the baby’s name and/or speaking on a Torah-­related topic; and a festive meal or kiddush. More significantly, common themes, readings, prayers, and rituals have emerged as Simchat Bat ceremonies have proliferated. In short, the creative surge that characterized the Simchat Bat in its early years has been tempered as this practice continues to mature. In this chapter, we trace the development of the modern Simchat Bat practice from its inception until the present day. Only by understanding this story can we proceed to consider the future development of practices for newborn Jewish girls. [3.139.104.214] Project MUSE (2024-04-19...

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