By Donna Gordon Blankinship, Editor, JTNews
Albert Joseph Maimon needs to grow some big shoulders pretty fast. That’s the only way this little baby will be able to carry all the responsibility and honor he inherited at birth.
Not only was little Albert the first Jewish baby born in the state of Washington in 2002, but he also carries an impressive family moniker plus two patriarchs in his Hebrew name.
Albert was born at 9:07 a.m. on Jan. 4 at Swedish Medical Center in Seattle to Judy and Menachem Maimon, who live in the Seward Park neighborhood. He is Judy and Menachem’s second child — big sister Sophie is 2 years old — and their first son, but by no means the first person named Al Maimon in Seattle’s Sephardic community.
As a matter of fact, at least 10 people have been named Al Maimon in the past three generations, ever since Sephardic Bikur Holim brought Rabbi Avraham Maimon over from Turkey in 1924 to lead the congregation. One of the best known Al Maimons in Seattle at this time is Menachem’s father (and Albert’s grandfather). In the Sephardic tradition, families name their children in honor of living relatives, so little Albert is also named after Grandpa Al. There are a number of first and second cousins in little Albert’s, Menachem’s and Grandpa Al’s generations.
If you find that confusing, take a suggestion from little Sophie, who calls her new brother “A.J.”
Little Albert’s middle name is in memory of Judy’s two Grandpa Josephs. His Hebrew name, Avraham Yosef, is also for the grandfathers and for the patriarchs Abraham and Joseph. “The names Abraham and Joseph have a lot of good qualities,” Menachem said. “We’re hoping he can emulate the independence and the relationship Abraham and Joseph had with God.”
Albert Joseph Maimon was scheduled to be in the running for first Jewish baby status. He was a little reluctant to make an appearance, however, and was delivered by C-section one day after his due date. At birth, he weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long.
His father, Menachem, is a pediatrician and works for the Tulalip Tribe. He is a native of Seattle and Judy grew up on Long Island, N.Y. They moved back to Seattle in August 2000.
At Albert’s brit milah on Friday, Jan. 11, his own father served as the mohel. Menachem admits that it was his very first circumcism, although he studied the process and performed a second one a few days later at work. “It was very exciting and fulfilling,” Menachem says about performing the ritual on Albert.
“It’s a big mitzvah,” to perform your own son’s brit milah, points out maternal Grandma Marilyn Miller. Rabbi Simon Benzaquen of Sephardic Bikur Holim and Rabbi Salomon Cohen of Congregation Ezra Bessaroth officiated at the brit milah.
Albert is also a lucky boy in the grandparent department. All four of his grandparents were able to attend his brit milah and he also has three living great-grandmas, two of whom were able to be there. His grandparents are Albert and Jeanne Maimon of Seattle and Ivan and Marilyn Miller of Woodmere, N.Y. His great-grandparents are Frieda Yablok of Seattle, Augusta Miller of New York, N.Y., and Sara Michael of Queens, N.Y.
When asked if they hope to bring some more brothers and sisters into the world, Judy says, “I want a bunch… four or five.” Menachem adds, “We’re going to go one at a time.”