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Jewish Community News
Ask the Rabbi: June 2007
Ask the Rabbi
Dear Rabbi Alexander,
We are having a baby in July and we are new to the community. An acquaintance told me that you have a program in the Silicon Valley to welcome babies and reach out to their families. Can you tell me about it?
P.S. We live in Morgan Hill
Shalom,
Rachel
Dear Rachel,
First of all B’shaah Tovah (May it happen at a good and appropriate time) on the impending birth of your child and welcome to the community. I am sure that very soon you will be acclimated to your new home and your new family structure.
Many people are relocated to this community and live great distances from family and childhood friends. This Jewish community wants to make sure that everyone feels welcome and included. We want to ensure that everyone is supported and celebrated by this, their extended Jewish family. Even those who have grown up here and are able to have family close by should be reminded that they matter to us all.
So, yes, your friend is correct. We do have a great program in this Federation area called Shalom Baby. The program is organized and run by volunteers under the auspices of Women’s Philanthropy. Shalom Baby reaches out to the parents of both biological and adoptive babies (and young children). When we hear of a new addition to a Jewish family, a representative of the program contacts the new parent(s) in order to arrange for a Shalom Baby visit to the family either at the hospital or at home. We have established relationships with Good Samaritan, Los Gatos Community, El Camino and Kaiser Santa Clara hospitals. If you are giving birth at any of those hospitals, we will frequently hear about it soon after the birth. If you are going to give birth elsewhere or you are adopting, someone will need to let us know you’d like a call from Shalom Baby. We will call you to make sure it is a good time and then come with a Mazal Tov basket filled with gifts for mom and child and with pertinent communal and religious information needed by many new parents.
As a new parent and as a new resident in the area, you may need information such as where to go if you want to have a baby naming or what Mohel to use for a Brit Milah (circumcision) to bring a new son into the covenant of Abraham. You might want to know what synagogues and communal agencies have parent and newborn classes or groups geared to families with young children. You might want to know where to go to buy Jewish books and music to share with your baby. Any of these things and much more are among the information you are delivered along with your gifts. Also in the included booklet are appropriate prayers and blessings for you to use in a number of circumstances. There are blessings to acknowledge the miracle of birth, of a healthy delivery and blessings when waiting to welcome your adoptive child and when you finally bring your baby home.
The Shalom Baby ambassador will be delighted to come and spend time with you when delivering the gift and would be happy to stay in touch and be a resource and communal connection if you like.
Ambassadors truly enjoy the opportunity to deliver Shalom Baby baskets. What’s not to like? Ambassadors get to encounter families at a time of great joy. They frequently meet new people and have the opportunity to do the mitzvah of assisting new parents in connecting Jewishly with other wonderful people in our community.
Should there be particular needs to which an ambassador does not have the capability to respond, the Shalom Baby volunteer will help find the right person to answer the need. Frequently, I, as the community chaplain serving the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley, can be an additional resource.
By the way Rachel, if you happen to meet any wonderful women of any age who would like to become Shalom Baby ambassadors, all they need to do is call Michelle at the Jewish Federation of Silicon Valley 357-7433. She will put the volunteer chairs of the program, Elise Wolf and Kathy Sucher in touch with you. Being involved with Shalom Baby is a very happy and uplifting volunteer opportunity.
In the few years since Shalom Baby was established, we have delivered baskets to nearly 500 families.
We can’t wait to be able to bring one to you.
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