Last-minute Passover shopping

Jammin' in N'awlins

Jew Be or Not Jew Be

Rikki Panrae got a dunking yesterday -- in the mikvah. This means she is now a Jew, and she will have a Hebrew name to go with -- Penina Rivka. Penina, pearl, means strong and beautiful, and links her Jewish and Chinese traditions. Rivka, among other things, standards for innocence. She certainly was beautiful, strong, and innocent when I dipped her into the water. The water symbolizes the Jewish faith and the Jewish people completely surrounding her. We have faith that she will continue to be beautiful, to do good deeds, and to spread joy wherever she goes -- just as her granddad and namesake, Dicky Burdman, always did.

It was my first experience in the mikveh. As the mom, I had to go through the cleaning ritual, including a checklist for washing my earring holes, eyelashes, elbows, knees, etc. etc. before going into the mikveh, though I did get to wear a bathing suit. We are told this isn't about cleanliness but about a transition from one state to another -- in Rikki's case to the state of being a Jew.