Brit Milah and Simchat Bat

We formally welcomed Moshe Shlomo (Matthew) and Malka Shoshana (Renee) into the Jewish community last week at their Brit Milah and Simchat Bat ceremonies. We were surrounded by friends and family to celebrate our children, and nothing could have felt warmer or more supportive. Thanks to all who came. Special thanks to Therese for taking fantastic pictures and to Dr. Marmon for leading the Simchat Bat and performing the Brit Milah.

Before the ceremonies, four generations (my mom holding Matthew, me holding Renee, my grandmother and sister)

My grandmother giving a blessing to her tenth and eleventh great-grandchildren

My Dad holding Matthew, in front of him is Elijah's chair covered in our Chuppah made from my grandmother's wedding dress and a pillow made by Shirely Waxman, one of Marc's cousins.

With Marc's father Paul and the Mohel who performed the ceremony

A brief moment between brothers

My mom, Regina, with Renee

Heather, Marc's stepmom, with Renee

Matthew's Hebrew name is Moshe Shlomo, after Marc's grandfather Morris (Moshe) and my grandfather Salomon (Shlomo). My zaide, Salomon, was very aptly named - he was as wise as King Solomon and those who were fortunate to know him often sought his advice. He always took care of his family, placing them above all else. He stared working at a very young age and barely finished grade school, but he could do arithmetic faster than I could using a calculator. Through hard work and determination, he established himself as a key member of the Jewish Community in Mexico and was a strong patricach not only for our familly but for the community through his work in establishing the first golf club in Mexico that accepted Jewish members.

Marc's zaide, Morris (Moshe in Hebrew) was an accomplished social worker who took great pride in his ability to help people in need. He had a keen interest in the world around him, especially economic and political events. Throughout his life he demonstrated that one could continually develop as a person, and that one should not hesitate to follow their passion regardless of age or other circumstances. Finally, he left a wonderful legacy through his book of family history and many other wonderful stories.

Renee's Hebew name, Malka Shoshana, honors my grandmother Renee and my mom Regina both of whom are named Malka in Hebrew and Marc's grandmother Rose (Shoshana means rose in Hebrew). My grandmother Renee was the quintessential grandmother - being with her was non-stop fun, she had boundless energy and continually thought of creative things to do with us. Her love and devotion to her family and to all children was absolutely admirable. One of our favorite activities was to play dress up, and my favorite thing to dress up in was her wedding gown (yes, the real one made of beautiful silk with a huge train that dragged on the floor behind me). When she was diagnosed with cancer, she fought with all her might with the goal of being at my wedding, but that was not meant to be. I kept her wedding dress and many years later when Marc and I got engaged, we were at my parents house for by grandfather's Yortzeit (annual anniversary of someone's death) and to start moving some of our things to my parent's house in preparation to our move to the US. When we were in the basement, we came across the suitcase that had Renee's wedding dress and we pulled it out to see if we could somehow use it for our wedding. The basement was so full, and the train of dress so large that there was no room to lay it down on the floor and instead we held it up in the air to look at it. Instantly we knew that we would use the dress as our Chuppah and be married under the canopy of Renee's wedding dress ensuring her presence at our wedding. We used this same Chuppa to line Elija's chair at the Brit Milah and Simchat Bat, once again honoring her presence and one of my favorite childhood pastimes.

My mom Regina, has endless patience, boundless capacity to love, deep strength and convictions, constant energy - she never stops. She is deeply admired by those who know her both personally and professionally. It's impossible for me to do justice to the support she has given me at a mom to Samuel and now to Matthew and Renee. She has been with me round the clock since their birth, with the perfect balance of advice, support, love and understanding. She is every bit the mother I hope to be and the woman I hope Renee grows to become.

Marcs grandmother, Baba Rose was a determined and hard-working woman. After her father died, she worked very hard to support her mother and younger brother. When she married, she continued to work. Even when she had children, she worked with the family business. Her intelligence, energy and innovative ideas, helped the business to succeed. She wished she could have gone to university and secretly expressed a desire to become a surgeon. She knew the importance of a good education, especially for women. Baba also knew how to laugh and she loved music and practical jokes. Marc was her first grandchild and she considered him her greatest treasure. There are many movies of them playing together and the love and smiles on both their faces tells of the joy they shared together.