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Acknowledgments
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Acknowledgments My first thanks go to Phyllis Deutsch, editor-in-chief of the University Press of New England. She saw the potential in the sample chapter that I sent to her and in my vision for this book. She has given me astute advice at key moments and has skillfully guided the development of this book from beginning to end. I likewise appreciate the efforts of Ann Brash, Diana Drew, and Kate Mertes, whose collective expertise has made this book a reality. Many thanks to Chaim Saiman, who critiqued early drafts of this book and gave me valuable suggestions for formulating my ideas. My thanks to Jeremy Meyerowitz and Ina Cohen, talented and tireless librarians at the Jewish Theological Seminary, who gave of their time to help me locate countless sources. I also thank Amy Bolton, who spent many months meticulously editing the first draft of this book. A very special thank-you to my great-uncle and great-aunt, Rabbi Henry and Lisbeth Okolica, whose clear memories and wise observations are recounted in these pages. The insights of my beloved Uncle Henry and Aunt Lisbeth personalize and enrich this book in a way that is very special to me. There are many others whom I would like to thank for their contributions to this book. They include Gila Ahdoot, Elisheva Baumgarten, Jennifer Bernstein, Yoram Bitton, Alisa Braun, Bill and Louise Braun, Michael Broyde, Eliezer Diamond, Paul Doherty, Yisrael Dubitsky, Aliza Dzik, Yechiel Eckstein, Jonathan Fox, Micky Goldschmidt, Myriam Goldschmidt , Elizabeth Goldstein, Blu Greenberg, Binyomin Hamburger, Abraham Kinst linger, Annette Landau, Morty Landowne, Rose Landowne, Dov Linzer, Anna Mass London, Jonathan Malino, Tamar Malino, Michael Meyer, Shari Ness, Ethan Rotenberg, Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Steven Sirbu, Daniel Sperber, Shira Vickar- Fox, Sid Vidaver, Daniel Wolf, Vitaly Zurkovsky, and Amy Zwas. Thank you also to the many congregational rabbis (in addition to those mentioned above) who took the time to describe to me the practices in their synagogues and communities. However, the opinions and positions taken in this book are mine alone, and should not be attributed or ascribed to any contributors mentioned here. xiv acknowledgments My profound thanks to my husband, Daniel Schlosberg, who has taken this long and exhilarating journey with me, side by side. It continues to surprise me how, even from the very beginning, Dan and I had the same ideas when it came to celebrating our newborn children. In our life together, Dan has always supported me wholeheartedly and has even encouraged me to take some unconventional paths. My gratitude for his love, companionship, and infinite patience. My greatest appreciation goes to my parents, Judith Okolica and Marshall Siegel. This book never could have happened without their vision, enthusiasm , and extraordinary support. My parents edited every word I wrote, gave me new ideas, discussed with me every facet of this book, babysat endlessly , and always pushed me to do my very best. This is your book as much as it is mine. Finally, I am indebted to those who, with ingenuity and devotion, created and perpetuated the modern ritual of welcoming newborn girls into the Jewish community. I also acknowledge the sincere devotion of the thousands of parents and rabbis who have performed these welcoming ceremonies and continue to do so. This book is my contribution to this ongoing process. ...