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Posted on Sun, Aug. 08, 2004 |
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With ceremony, two men reaffirm Jewish faith
When Ira Somers was growing up Jewish, he thought the rituals his family participated in were little more than rote perpetuation of tradition. To him, the Somerses observed holidays and went to synagogue because that's what Jews do. The 33-year-old schoolteacher from Northeast Philadelphia didn't appreciate the meaning and history behind the traditions until his recent recommitment to his faith. So when Somers stepped onto the bimah last week at Congregation B'nai Abraham, the moment was special to him. He had decided to be "redeemed" at the Center City synagogue in a ceremony called Pidyon Haben. "This is an opportunity to do another mitzvah," Somers said. "Not everyone can do certain ones, and this is an honor that I wanted to take advantage of." Pidyon Haben is a ceremony of redemption for the firstborn sons in traditional Jewish families. Pidyon is Hebrew for redemption and Haben means son. It is a ritual that goes back thousands of years and has its roots in the biblical story of the plague that passed over the firstborn sons of the Israelites and instead struck the sons of the Egyptians. The ritual is customarily performed on infant boys, though Somers never participated in it as a baby. With his newfound commitment to Judaism, he decided to have the ceremony as an adult. His friend Kenny Kean, 46, decided to join him. "When I visited Israel, it opened my eyes," said Kean of his first trip to the Middle East in May. "I saw the Israeli people, my people, my heritage. Before, I was pretty nonchalant. It made me proud to be a Jew." Kean's rediscovery of his faith is also recent. He grew up in a Reform Jewish household that had a Christmas tree in December. In the spring, his father, Leroy, asked him if he'd like to go to Israel. Somers had drifted away from the faith, but decided to meet with Rabbi Yochonon Goldman of Congregation B'nai Abraham to give Judaism one last try. The meeting, Somers said, "turned me around." Somers decided to have the Pidyon Haben after witnessing a friend's in Israel. His and Kean's decision to have the ceremony as adults made last week's Pidyon Haben a rare event. In fact, having two grown men undergo the rite is unique, said Goldman, whose synagogue is at 527 Lombard St. The ceremony is reserved for infants who are 31 days old and were born naturally, not by cesarean section, the rabbi said. "The first and best belongs to God," Goldman said. "A firstborn child is a new horizon. The redemption symbolizes that everything we have comes from God." The rabbi cites the Bible's Exodus 13:12 and 13:15 and Numbers 18:15, all of which mention the redemption of the firstborn, as references from which the ritual is derived. Not all firstborn sons are eligible. They must be firstborns who are not descendants of the tribe of Levi. Male descendants of that tribe are called Kohanim or Levites and are exempt from the ritual. After the Exodus from Egypt, the Jews wandered in the desert and eventually sinned when they began worshiping a golden calf. Before that, firstborn sons were designated to serve in the temple. That honor was removed by God after the Jews engaged in idol worship. In their place, the tribe of Levi was given responsibility for serving in the temple because its members did not participate in the idol worship, Goldman said. That is why descendants of the tribe do not have to be redeemed. Cecil Maidman, a Center City lawyer, said he was told of his Levi tribe ancestry by his father. That history is passed down from generation to generation, Maidman said. As a Kohan, Maidman presided over last week's Pidyon Haben ceremony. During the ritual, firstborn infants are usually brought in on a silver tray and draped with jewelry to signify the beauty of the mitzvah. They also are surrounded with sugar and garlic. The sugar symbolizes the sweetness of the event. The garlic is meant to be taken home and cooked in a family meal so that all, by extension, can share in the Pidyon Haben. Last week, the tray, sugar and garlic were absent, but Somers' fiance e, Marianna Salz, decorated him with jewelry. "This is my firstborn son. He is the first issue of his mother's womb and the Holy One," said Somers' father, Lenny, at the beginning of the five-minute ceremony. Maidman and Lenny Somers recited several lines about redemption, and then the father gave Maidman five silver coins, the "cost" of his son's redemption. The exchange is derived from the ancient practice of townspeople giving gifts to the men who served in the temple, Goldman said. The coins for Somers and Kean's ceremony were especially made in Israel for Pidyon Haben ceremonies. Maidman then blessed the firstborn son, ending the ceremony. The group of 25 family and friends joined together to sing "Siman Tov Umazel Tov," a song of congratulations. "What the Torah requires has finally been done," Kean said after his ceremony, "and now I feel more fulfilled." Contact Kristin E. Holmes at 215-854-2791 or kholmes@phillynews.com. |
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