Say Hello to... Nitzahn Ta'ira Epstein

Our daughter’s name is Nitzahn Ta’ira.

The word “Nitzahn” is Hebrew for “blossom.”

“Nitzahn” is a unique word in that it constitutes a hapax legomenon, that is, a word that appears only once in the entire Bible.

It is found in Chapter 2 (verse 12) of Shir HaShirim (the Song of Songs):

הַנִּצָּנִים נִרְאוּ בָאָרֶץ, עֵת הַזָּמִיר הִגִּיעַ; וְקוֹל הַתּוֹר, נִשְׁמַע בְּאַרְצֵנוּ.

“HaNitzanim Niru Ba’Aaretz. Eyt ha Zamir hegiyah ve Kol Ha Tor Nishma Beartzeinu”

The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land;

The Song of Songs is widely recognized as some of the most vivid love poetry in existence. In naming Nitzahn, we recall our beloved Nana and Poppy (z’l), Jeremy’s maternal grandparents, and specifically the love affair they shared for over 60 years.

In our estimation, their love was one of a kind, unparalleled, as is the word “Nitzahn” in the Bible.

In the next verse, (2:13), we read:

קוּמִי לכי (לָךְ) רַעְיָתִי יָפָתִי, וּלְכִי-לָךְ

Arise, my love, my fair one, and go forth yourself.

This was the hallmark of Nana and Poppy’s style of love throughout their lives until their passing. Their mutual love and attraction unquestionably empowered each other to go forward and perform seemingly mundane as well as heroic acts;

Nana courageously waited for Poppy as he flew missions with the Flying Tigers during World War II and she supported his dedicated work as a volunteer at Sibley Hospital.

Poppy encouraged and rejoiced in Nana living a life that Frank Sinatra must have imagined when he sang “My Way.” A friend to hundreds, a classy lady, and a woman of dignity, Poppy reveled in Nana’s unique and elegant style.

And Poppy made the ultimate sacrifice.

Watching as his beloved endured a year’s worth of physical pain and passed on, and longing to be reunited with her, he knew that he had only one more task in his life’s work.

On the night after she died, Poppy said:

“I loved her, I will always love her, and I cannot live without her,”

5 weeks later to the day, he too passed away.

They were buried next to each other on what would have been their 64th wedding anniversary.

The appearance of a blossom reminds us that despite the cold, harsh winter, life can re-emerge. Sometimes at the expected time. Other times in unexpected ways. A blossom appearing on a tree is a true indication of the ability of the tree, so battered by winter, to yield fruit, to draw from its roots, and produce beauty and sustenance where it has been lost.

Nitzahn, our daughter, arrived approximately one month earlier than expected and represents life and sustenance on our family tree. She draws upon the roots of her ancestors and brings light at the end of a dark and cold winter, our first without Nana and Poppy.

The role Nitzahn has played in this context also constitutes our hope for the role she will play in the lives of her friends, family, community and nation going forward.

Nitzahn’s middle name is “Ta’ira,” which means “bringing or shining forth light.”

We pray that she will seize upon the examples set by her family, Stanley (Poppy) and Karlyn (Nana) Robinson as well as Tamar’s maternal grandfather, Frederick Goldsmith (in Hebrew ‘Uri Shraga’) and known as “Saba.” Saba brought light wherever he went through unselfish, heroic, and noble acts, whether in the darkness of World War II or in the lives of friends, family, and community.

We will regale Nitzahn Ta’ira with tales of the light brought by our family members and the community of Kemp Mill in the weeks of uncertainty preceding her birth. And, she will undoubtedly, we hope, quickly come to recognize and bask in the light and joy brought by her sister, Calanit and her brother, Erez.

As her parents, we hope that we will have the Zchut (merit) to raise her to a life that fulfills the vision of the name we have chosen, to Torah, Chuppah (the wedding canopy) and Ma’asim Tovim (good deeds).