The New Jewish Baby Book: Names Ceremonies Customs a Guide for Today's Families [Paperback]

Anita Diamant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1994

A complete guide to the customs and rituals for welcoming a new child to the world and into the Jewish community, and for commemorating the joyous event in family life whatever your family constellation. The only book of its kind. Expanded, completely updated and revised.
Includes:
Ceremonies to copy for handouts.
Special section for interfaith families helps make the celebrations inclusive and joyous for all.
New ceremonies for girls, as well as for boys.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

While most of the conversation preceding the birth of a baby these days is focused on such physical things as diets and breathing exercises, the almost universal reaction by, and concern of, parents themselves is a sense of wonderment and awe. In this sometimes very parochial book, the author addresses the human need to plan for the spiritual aspects of childbirth. Diamant offers precise guidelines for celebrating initial and fundamental rites of passage. She devotes much space to Jewish names, both biblical and cultural in origin, and explains the religious traditions and/or significance involved in each. Of even greater import to Diamant, however, is the ceremony of the circumcision. Contrary to a belief widely held in recent times, she stresses, circumcision has no basis in health practices. It is, rather, a sanctification of the ancient convenant God made with Abraham. As a reflection of our ceremonies for girls, adoption and interfaith families.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Diamant's pioneering The Jewish Baby Book (Summit Bks., 1988. o.p.) was a highly practical guide for liberal Jewish parents-to-be and new parents. It concerned choosing traditional and modern Jewish names; ceremonies and celebrations, including birth announcements and the Brit Milah (convenant of circumcision); the issues of infertility and genetic testing; adoption; and recommendations for celebrating the baby's first year in a meaningfully Jewish way. Diamant has now revised and expanded that excellent book to include handouts to copy for ceremonies, a special section for interfaith families, and new ceremonies for girls. Still the only book in its field, this is highly recommended for all libraries serving Jewish patrons.
- Marcia Welsh, Guilford Free Lib., Ct.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 328 pages
• Publisher: Jewish Lights Pub; Rev&Upd edition (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879045281
• ISBN-13: 978-1879045286
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,426,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

In my first novel, The Red Tent, I re-imagined the culture of biblical women as close, sustaining, and strong, but I am not the least bit nostalgic for that world without antibiotics, or birth control, or the printed page. Women were restricted and vulnerable in body, mind, and spirit, a condition that persists wherever women are not permitted to read.

When I was a child, the public library on Osborne Terrace in Newark, New Jersey, was one of the first places I was allowed to walk to all by myself. I went every week, and I can still draw a map of the children's room, up a flight of stairs,where the Louisa May Alcott books were arranged to the left as you entered.
Nonfiction, near the middle of the room, was loaded with biographies. I read several about Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, Marie Curie, Amelia Earhart, and Helen Keller, with whom I share a birthday.

But by the time I was 11, the children's library was starting to feel confining,so I snuck downstairs to the adult stacks for a copy of The Good Earth. (I had overheard a grown-up conversation about the book and it sounded interesting.)The librarian at the desk glanced at the title and said I wasn't old enough for the novel and furthermore my card only entitled me to take out children's books.

I defended my choice. I said my parents had given me permission, which was only half a fib since my mother and father had never denied me any book. Eventually,the librarian relented and I walked home, triumphant. I had access to the BIG LIBRARY. My world would never be the same.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Jewish education spiced with insight about values., December 5, 1998

By 

Reuven Carlyle ([e-mail] (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Jewish Baby Book: Names Ceremonies Customs a Guide for Today's Families (Paperback)

This is a very good overview of Jewish values and rituals related to bringing a boy or girl into the world. Well reseached and very non judgemental so it is good for Reform, Conservative or Orthodox Jews, and non Jews who want to understand rituals without being embarrassed.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a wealth of information to help you plan for your newborn, January 7, 2002

By 

Elaine Adler (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New Jewish Baby Book: Names Ceremonies Customs a Guide for Today's Families (Paperback)

Each couple anticipating the arrival of a child is tuned into the Jewish saying that, "With each child, the world begins anew." Planning for the arrival of a newborn is filled with hope, excitement, nervousness, and profound love. Beyond these wonderful feelings are all the reality issues of how to choose a name and how to welcome this new being into the family and community. For Jewish families expecting a new arrival, Anita Diamant's "The New Jewish Baby Book" is an invaluable resource.

As someone who creates personalized birth announcements for couples who want to announce the arrival of their newborn in a special way, I am very aware of how helpful "The New Jewish Baby Book" is. I see well-used copies, with clips and markers pointing to elements that speak to the couple as they plan for their baby. Anita Diamant's in-depth descriptions and presentations of a wide range of issues help couples focus on what is important and meaningful as they prrepare for their awesome new adventure.

Particularly helpful are a myriad ideas for ritual welcoming ceremonies for both boys and girls. The Brit Millah (Covenant of Circumcision) ceremony for boys has been in use since Biblical times. There must not be a parent through the ages who hasn't agonized over this ritual. "The New Jewish Baby Book" provides a sensitive assessment of this ancient ceremony, bringing contemporary questions and issues to the discussion of circumcision in an attempt to help couples come to terms with this practice. For those anticipating having a boy, reading the section on the Brit Millah will help families understand the ceremony and know what to expect, including a checklist of items that need to be on hand. Until relatively recently, there was no official ceremony to welcome a girl into the Jewish community. "The New Jewish Baby Book" was one of the first resources published to provide ideas, prayers, blessings, and readings for a Brit Bat (Covenant for a Daughter) ceremony. For this, Anita Diamant is to be commended.

In addition to enhancing traditional ceremonies with contemporary prayers, "The New Jewish Baby Book" suggests other ways of beautifying the arrival of a new born, whether with hand-crafted ritual objects or with a unique and personalized birth announcement with a Jewish look. The book also addresses the reality of an increased intermarriage rate in modern times, raising common concerns when some family members are unfamiliar with Jewish ritual and practice. Also addressed are adoption issues, ways to include extended family members in the welcoming of a new born, and genetic diseases for which Jewish couples should be tested and aware of. All of these issues are discussed with Anita's usual thoroughness, sensitivity and compassion.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ANITA DIAMANT DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!, September 19, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The New Jewish Baby Book: Names Ceremonies Customs a Guide for Today's Families (Paperback)

Like all of her books, this is a great resource for Jewish parents. Diamant includes everything you need to know to plan a brit milah or brit bat. Also she gives suggestions on how to create your own ceremony. She includes a list of Jewish baby names as well as Jewish baby announcements. The book is easy and enjoyable to read. This is a must read for pregnant Jews whether they are reform, conservative, or orthodox.