Baby Naming Speech: Mia Brakha

Baby naming speech by Rabbi Sammy Kanter and Zvi Zobin

Dear Mia Brakha,

Dad 1:

This past week has been a dream come true. A miracle in human form. Both of your dads dreamed of having children and raising a family for our whole lives, and with your arrival, we are able to live out that dream in the miracle that you are. [ . . . ] As we welcome you into the covenant today with your naming, we’d like to tell you about how we chose your name, Mia Brakha, and what it means to us.

Your first name, Mia, shares part of the Hebrew root with the name Miriam, one of the great prophetesses in our tradition. This was also the Hebrew name of your great-grandmother, my maternal grandmother, Muriel ***, or Gammie, as I called her. Gammie was taken from us too young, at the age of 68, when I was just 8 years old. Sadly, I don’t have a lot of memories of my Gammie, yet with you, Mia, the *** family can ensure her memory lives on. In talking to your Bubbie about who Muriel was in the world, a few things stand out. First off, she was lively, enthusiastic, and loved to have fun. She had big fashion, and she loved to host family. We can already tell from your week-old nature that you too have a big personality, and we hope to help you carry on her spirit by always allowing you to express your full, whole, and true self with the world.

Dad 2:

Your middle name, Brakha, was the name of your great-grandmother, my maternal grandmother, Brakha ***, or Baba, as we called her. Your Alta Baba passed away just over four months ago and would have loved to meet you and hold you. Baba survived World War Two in Ukraine and sacrificed a lot for the sake of her family and Judaism. 

Just like your name, Mia Bracha, which means Blessing from God in Hebrew, Alta Baba was truly a blessing from God to our family.

Alta Baba was the most intuitive and caring person.

She always greeted me at home after kindergarten with fresh cut fruit and math problems to solve, hosted us all for dinner in her apartment, and helped prepare amazing Shabbat food every week. I hope that I can bestow upon you the love and care that she gave me and our entire family.

[ . . . ] We fell in love with this name for you, because you, Mia Brakha, are a blessing from God. The only way to explain your arrival to our arms is through divine hands. Until the past few years, families like us were not able to bring children into the world. Due to changing laws and acceptance of queer families, and due to the incredible technology of IVF and surrogacy, we are able to build a family of our dreams. [ . . . ]

Dad 1:

When you arrived, thanks to the wonderful staff at *** Hospital, I exclaimed, Hodu L’shem Ki Tov, Ki La’olam Hasdo, Give thanks to God for God is good, God’s lovingkindness will reign forever. You are the human form of a blessing of hope, possibility, love, and wholeness. When I hold you on my chest, I feel God in my heart. I feel connected to the great, big, scary world, and I hold in you a bundle of hope that you will help bring us to redemption. This is how we see you as a blessing from God. Plus, we know we’ll never get frustrated with you, but if we do, and exclaim Mia Brakha, A blessing from God, we hope it will surely put us in our place!

Lastly, you were born during the week of Shabbat Shira, or the Shabbat of Song, and parashat Beshlach.¹ In the parasha, famously the Israelites escape slavery and the constraints of Egypt through the parting of the Red Sea to freedom. Our prophetess, Miriam, who your name is related to, packed a hand drum for this terrifying journey out of Egypt. Upon landing on the other side, Miriam gathered all the Israelite women and lead them in singing and dancing. This was the moment that birthed the Israelite people, a people touched by God. Shiru L’shem Ki Ga’oh Ga’ah—Sing to God for God has triumphed gloriously, she sang. In that moment, I can imagine a moment of relief, but also a moment of uncertainty. Who are we, where are we going, are we safe, the Israelites must have thought. And yet, Miriam emerges from the waters and does not wait for anyone else to lead. She does not blend into the crowd. She grabs that timbrel, that sign she carried that we would find freedom, and her voice rings out for generations. As the only prophet who seemingly doesn’t hear directly from God, we see this as her prophecy. [ . . . ] [S]ometimes, in the face of fear and uncertainty, we must stand up, let go, lead, and sing.

Mia Brakha, we are bringing you into a scary world. Each day when I’ve held you last week, I see out of the corner of my eye the horror being brought upon this country and in the world. And then I look back at you, our miracle blessing from God, and I’m reminded of the hope you bring. The hope that you will be like Muriel, and Brakha, and Miriam, leading the rest of us with your full, authentic self, fighting for a more just world, and bringing more blessings from God to all of us. We love you more than you know.

Love, 

Your dads