mamadeb

jonbaker put together a nice little ceremony, adapting things from the Sphardi tradition and shul namings. We tried to make it as little like a brit as possible (the point of a brit is, besides the minor surgery, to welcome the boy into the covenant. Girls enter the covenant when they are born.)

As I said, her English name is Winifred Celia (Wynn). Instead of trying to figure out a Hebrew equivalent for her first name, they just went with Tzivia, which was the original Celia's Hebrew name. Tzivia bat Melech Baruch v'Nechama Shifra. (We also had a discussion about her big sister Zoe, who was never named, but it turns out her middle name is Alonit, which is Hebrew name enough. Jocelyn comes from a completely non-religious family, none of whom were present, and was basically named at her wedding.)

All of us played some part, even me - I got to read a longish blessing in English over both Wynn and Zoe. We offered a part to a cousin who happens to be a rabbi, but she turned it down. And I got to hold Wynn for a long time - letting her wiggle in my arms. *smile*

( Gift and awkwardness )