Over the years I’ve been known by lots of monikers--mom, chauffer, cook, circus club president, travel agent, Kiwanian, travel writer, mother-in-law and grandma, to name just a few. By far, grandma is my favorite!I was on my way to Portugal, via New Jersey, when I received the call that my daughter, Heather, had gone into labor. I arrived at the hospital shortly after Sarah Bina was born and I knew then and there, she had my heart forever. It’s hard to believe it has been a year since Sarah Bina was born--October 5, 2008.
I decided that being a grandmother definitely gives me bragging rights, so this column is dedicated to Sarah Bina’s first birthday. Sarah is my first grandchild and is named after my mother, who died in 2006. In this picture, my mother is framed by my daughters, Heather (left) and Erin (right) with me above.
Among Ashkenazi Jews (Jews from Germany and Eastern Europe,) it is customary to name children after a deceased relative. This is a way of honoring that person and keeping their memory alive. Naming a child is one of the most important decisions new parents make. The Talmud (Berachot 7b) teaches that a Hebrew name has an influence on its bearer. Hence, it is extremely important to name your children after individuals with positive character traits who have led fortunate lives and have helped bring goodness to the world. My mother, who died at age 89, was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Bina, her middle name, is a Hebrew name that means understanding, intelligence and wisdom.Over the past year I have visited Passaic Park, New Jersey, where Heather, Rob and Sarah Bina make their home. Only 30 minutes from downtown Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel (20 minutes by train or express bus,) Passaic Park is an old town with beautiful, large, wooden-frame houses, parks, and shopping centers nearby. It is also a town in transition with a growing, young observant community. There are several synagogues and religious schools, a kosher market and a kosher bakery within a half-mile of their home. It is a common sight to see women pushing strollers to and from the main shopping area or out and about on “Shabbat” (Sabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown and is over on Saturday evening at sundown.) There are even three kosher restaurants in Passaic--a Chinese restaurant, a deli and a pizza parlor. Traffic in Passaic is light since most residents commute into Manhattan by bus or train. The biggest traffic jam I saw was the abundance of strollers parked outside the synagogue on Simchat Torah (The Joy of the Torah--the celebration of the completion of and the beginning of the “Reading of the Torah.”) It was definitely a joyous occasion and entire families were celebrating at the synagogue.
Most of my trips back east are in combination with groups I am taking to Europe. I usually go three or four days early and spend time with Sarah. When I’m not traveling, I go on the web cam every Sunday and Sarah and I “chat.” In the following photograph you can see her delight with the phone!
I got to see when she first started crawling and when she pulled herself up on the bookcase. I’m waiting for her to start walking --that should be any day now. This year Sarah, along with her parents, visited California twice--the last time was this past September for her Auntie Erin’s wedding.Happy birthday, Sarah Bina! I’ll see you in November for Thanksgiving.
Heather, Sarah Bina, and Rob Tzall:
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