Resources

Bell, Roselyn. "Thank Heaven for Little Girls,” in The Hadassah Magazine Jewish Parenting Book. Ed. Roselyn Bell. New York: The Free Press, 1989.
Surveys traditional Jewish ways of welcoming daughters and recent innovative ceremonies.

Breger, Jennifer, and Lisa Schlaff. The Orthodox Jewish Women and Ritual: Options and Opportunities - Birth. Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance, 2000.
Discusses historical and contemporary roles for women in traditional naming ceremonies for boys (brit milah and pidyon ha-ben) and how to create a naming/welcoming ceremony for girls within the parameters of Orthodox Jewish law. Available from JOFA, 459 Columbus Avenue, Suite 329, New York, NY 10024, 212-752-7133, jofa@rcn.com.

Cohen, Debra Nussbaum. Celebrating Your New Jewish Daughter: Creating Jewish Ways to Welcome Baby Girls into the Covenant. Jewish Lights Publishing, 2001.
Includes the history and traditions of simchat bat, a step-by-step guide to creating new and traditional ceremonies, prayers, rituals and poems, and practical planning guidelines for the event, including suggestions for families of all constellations.

Diamant, Anita. The New Jewish Baby Book: Names, Ceremonies & Customs—A Guide for Today's Families. Jewish Lights Publishing, 1994.
One of the basic sources for new Jewish parents; a warm, helpful guide to the many different options for welcoming children into a Jewish home and community. Includes a list of Jewish and Hebrew names for boys and girls

Goldstein, Rabbi Elyse. "Blood and Men: A Feminist Look at Brit Milah,” in ReVisions: Seeing Torah Through a Feminist Lens. Jewish Lights Publishing, 1998.
A feminist reinterpretation of brit milah that sees ritual circumcision as a symbol of "disciplined masculinity" and boundary setting for male sexuality.

Hoffman, Lawrence A. Covenant of Blood: Circumcision and Gender in Rabbinic Judaism. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996.
Traces the history and symbolism of brit milah through the rabbinic era of the Mishnah and Talmud. While acknowledging women's marginalization in Jewish tradition, Hoffman also examines the roles that mothers historically played in their son's circumcisions until the medieval period.

Klein, Michele. A Time to Be Born: Customs and Folklore of Jewish Birth. Jewish Publication Society, 1998.
An extensive collection of traditions and rituals from Jewish cultures around the world for the different stages of pregnancy, birth, and naming. Also includes sections on infertility, abortion, pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and neonatal death.

Kolatch, Alfred. Best Baby Names for Jewish Children. Jonathan David Publishers, 1998.
Contains thousands of names; each entry gives the origin and meaning of the name and suggests a Hebrew equivalent. Includes Anglicized forms of the latest and most popular names used in Israel.

Kolatch, Alfred J. The Complete Dictionary of English and Hebrew First Names. Jonathan David Publishers, 1984.
Contains more than 11,000 main entries, with Hebrew and biblical names in Hebrew and transliterated to English, and includes a list of Hebrew names grouped according to meaning.

Leifer, Daniel I. and Myra Leifer. "On the Birth of a Daughter,” in The Jewish Woman: New Perspectives. Ed. Elizabeth Koltun. Schocken Books, 1976.
One of the first published naming ceremonies for girls, this ritual adapts the traditional pidyon ha-ben (redemption of the first-born son) ceremony; also includes seven blessings for parents to say immediately following the child's birth.

Plaskow, Judith. "Bringing a Daughter into the Covenant,” in Womanspirit Rising: A Feminist Reader in Religion. Ed. Carol P. Christ and Judith Plaskow. Harper San Francisco, 1992 (originally published in 1979).
A naming ceremony using biblical passages about female characters (Hannah, Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Huldah, unnamed women) and female God language to emphasize moments when women had important roles in the life of the Jewish people, as well as the role of women in the Jewish covenant.

Pollack, Miriam. "Circumcision: A Jewish Feminist Perspective,” in Jewish Women Speak Out: Expanding the Boundaries of Psychology. Ed. Kayla Weiner and Arinna Moon. Canopy Press, 1995.
A critique of brit milah which claims that "circumcision is fundamental to patriarchy" and charges that the ritual mutilates the baby, disempowers the protective mother, and bonds the baby to men.

Rosenberg, Shelley Kapnek. Adoption and the Jewish Family: Contemporary Perspectives. Jewish Publication Society, 1998.
The author, an adoptive parent and a special needs consultant, explores Jewish laws on adoptions, issues of searching for birth parents, trans-cultural and trans-racial adoptions in Jewish families, and how the Jewish community addresses the challenges of lesbian, gay, or single adoptive parents. Includes an appendix, "Ametz HaBrit, Adopting the Covenant: Jewish Adoption Rituals."

Rosenkrantz, Linda, and Pamela Redmond Satran. Beyond Sarah and Sam: An Enlightened Guide to Jewish BabyNaming. St. Martin's Press, March 1992.
A guide to help parents find names that reflects their heritage and suits their personal styles

Sidi, Smadar Shir. The Complete Book of Hebrew Baby Names. Harper San Francisco, 1989.
A comprehensive Hebrew baby name book with thousands of listings, advice on choosing names, and naming ceremonies.

Women's League for Conservative Judaism. Simhat Bat: Ceremonies to Welcome a Baby Girl.
Contains an introduction by Rabbi Nina Beth Cardin, three sample ceremonies with traditional blessings in English, Hebrew, and transliteration, additional readings, a resource list, a sample invitation, and a Simhat Bat certificate. Available from Women's League for Conservative Judaism, 48 East 74th Street, New York, NY 10021, tel. 212-628-1600.