A Jewish Ceremony for Newborn Girls: The Torah’s Covenant Affirmed

Index

Index Aber, Ita, 167 Abrabanel, Isaac Ben Judah, 100, 111–12, 117–18, 137 acrostics, 60, 73 Adler, Nathan Marcus, 31, 166 Adler, Rachel, xix, xxiii, 85, 103, 117, 206 aggadot, 77, 108, 110, 118 Agus, Arlene, xxiii Aharon Berachia of Modena, 186 Aleinu prayer, 214 aliyah: birthing mothers and aliyah for new father, 14–16, 20, 28–29, 42–43; for both parents, 3, 32, 42, 69, 74; halacha and, 45; Mi Shebairach prayer and, 3–4, 7, 23; in modern practice, 3–5, 26–27, 28, 32; naming girls, 3–5, 7, 23; for new mother in the home, 16; Simchat Bat and, 57, 67, 68, 69–70, 87; on Simchat Torah, 156, 164; without naming for girls, 40–43; Zeved HaBat liturgy, 7. See also synagogue naming Alsace, 22, 165 American Bar Association Journal, xvii American Jewish Congress, 53 Amram Gaon, 8, 11–12 Antiochus IV Epiphanes, 130 Antoninus Pius, 130 Aqd-el-yas (Bond of the Myrtle), 166 Arba’ah Turim, 27 areivut rule, 115–16 Arizona Jewish Post, 213 Artscroll Siddur and Artscroll Simchah Handbook, 51 Asher ben Yechiel (Rosh), 115–16 Ashkenazic communities, 3–43; aliyah for new father and naming girls, 3–5, 7; defined, xvi; disappearance of customs for birthing mothers, 26–27; early Jewish naming practices and, 11–13; kiddush in, xvi, 34–35; medieval customs for birthing mothers, 13–22; modern practices for newborn girls, xvi, 35–36; recent changes affecting naming practices in, 28–31; reshaping practices for newborn girls in, 38–43; Simchat Bat developing predominantly in, 50; weddings , use of tallit at, 164–65; yom tov on first post-partum synagogue visit, 13–17, 20; Zeved HaBat adopted by, 72, 165, 225 Ashkenazi, Judah, 195 atonement, 14–16, 25, 31, 42, 44 aufruf (Shabbat chatan), 16, 165 Auschwitz, liberation of, 163 Austria, 16, 19, 22, 43 Bach (Yoel Sirkis), 22, 115 Bachrach, Yair Chaim, 110, 113, 185 Baer, Yitzchak, 10, 45 Bamberger, Seligman Baer, 12 Bar Mitzvah, xxiv, 18, 147–48, 157, 164, 167, 168, 187, 195 Barsa, 48 Bat Mitzvah, 143–44; for adult women, 144; Bar Mitzvah and, xxiv, 147–48, 187; as covenantal expression, 146–48; halacha on, 207–8; initiation into covenant as newborn and, xviii, 143, 147–48; tallit and, 157, 164, 167, 168; timing of, 79 Baum, Charlotte, 53 Baumgarten, Elisheva, 10, 23 Bechor Shor (Joseph ben Isaac), 111, 117–18 274 index bechukoteichem lo teileichu (not following in the ways of other peoples), 61, 207–8 Beis Yaakov schools, 145 Ben-Shimon, Raphael Aaron, 169 Berkovits, Eliezer, 104, 114, 116, 142 Berlin, Naftali Tzvi Yehuda (Netziv), 35–36 Berman, Saul, 52, 76 Betulim (Tokens of Virginity) ceremony, 181–83, 201 Biale, Rachel, xix, 206 Bialik, Chaim Nachman, 73 Bible: on covenant and circumcision, 133–37; naming practices in, 11, 12; on women’s inclusion in covenant, 98–107 Birkat Banim, 70, 71, 170–71, 184–87 Birkat HaGomel: in conjunction with synagogue naming, 5; medieval Ashkenazic birthing mothers and, 16; modern Ashkenazic use of, 29–30; for mothers enduring a dangerous birth or pregnancy, 43; public recitation of, 33; at Simchat Bat, 59, 70, 71; at Zeved HaBat, 46 Birkat Ha-Torah, 115, 118 Birkat Kohanim, 156, 161, 165 birthing mothers: aliyah for both parents, 3, 32, 42, 69, 74; aliyah for new father and, 14–16, 20, 28–29, 42–43; aliyah for new mother in the home, 16; circumcision ceremony, non-attendance of, 128; disappearance of Ashkenazic customs for, 26–27; foreskins eaten by, 215, 217; medieval Ashkenazic customs for, 13–22; Mi Shebairach prayer and, 9–10, 16–17, 24–25, 28, 31; wimpel custom, 17–19; yom tov on first postpartum synagogue visit, 13–17, 20. See also parents Bleich, Judith, 61–62, 65, 207 “Blessing the Birth of a Daughter: Jewish Naming Ceremonies for Girls” (Reifman, 1978), 63 Bohemia, 17, 115 Bond of the Myrtle (Aqd-el-yas), 166 Book of Commandments (Sefer HaMitzvot ; Maimonides, 12th century), 140 Book of the Covenant (Sefer HaBrit), 106–7 borer (sorting or separating), 210 Borowitz, Eugene, 95 Brandes, Yehuda, 112 “Brit Bat”: composition of, 221; fulllength ceremony, 229–33; nomenclature , 177, 200–201; tallit swaddling, 166, 167, 168, 170 brit ben habitarim (Abraham’s covenant between the parts), 98, 105, 171 brit milah. See circumcision of Jewish males Buber, Martin, 73 Bucharian communities, 7, 46, 215 burial and mourning customs, 12, 77, 153, 154, 165, 171, 194–95, 196, 221 Cairo Geniza, 126 Call Them Builders (Sasso, 1977...