Chana Mendelsohn may be her parents’ second child, but to the people of Wyoming’s Teton County, the newborn girl will always be a first.
Just after giving birth at 10:47 the morning of Jan. 1, Raizy Mendelsohn was told by her midwife to prepare for even more excitement. Not only was little Chanie the first baby of the decade to be born at S. John’s Medical Center in Jackson, she was the first for the entire western county.
“She told me that it was a really big deal, and that the newspaper wanted to interview me,” recalls Mendelsohn, who arrived two years ago with her husband, Rabbi Zalman Mendelsohn, and their older daughter Chaya Mushka to establish Chabad-Lubavitch of Wyoming.
After the story hit in The Jackson Hole News & Guide, the Mendelsohns – whose efforts to strengthen Jewish life in the sparsely-populated state were the subject of a National Public Radio report last year – have been getting quite a bit of attention from the locals. They say that Chanie, not even two weeks old, has already contributed to an increased awareness of Judaism.
“The article was a beautiful way to be able to talk about why we’re here,” explains the girl’s mother. “Even before her birth, I handed out a pamphlet to my midwife, Theresa Lerch, and the entire obstetrics ward about maternity care for an Orthodox Jewish couple. It detailed special considerations for kosher food and Shabbat observance.
“Everyone has been so understanding,” she adds about her medical team. “They kept asking me to let them know what I need.”
For members of the far-flung Jewish community in Wyoming, the birth is as much historic as it is novel.
“There’s a lot of meaning that the first baby born here is a beautiful Chabad girl,” says Fred Goffstein, the 67-year-old owner of Wyoming Mountain Properties. “I mean, who are you kidding? I was so excited, I forwarded the birth announcement to 50 friends.”
When she returned to her hospital room after the birth, Mendelsohn found baskets of gifts waiting. The hospital, along with 30 local businesses, donated car seats, nursing pillows, stuffed animals, bottles, medicines and clothing to the young family.
“Giving gifts for this first baby of the decade is fully in the tradition of this generous town,” says Zalman Mendelsohn.
Chanie’s father, who was introduced to the state several years ago as a visiting rabbinical student, says that his wishes for his daughter are to be a “loving ambassador in sharing the warmth and meaning of Torah with every Jew in Wyoming.”
Residents aren’t the only ones watching. Half a world away, some 613 women in the Israeli city of Bet Shemesh – where Chanie’s maternal grandparents live – lit Shabbat candles in the merit of a healthy birth.
Goffstein says he’s looking forward to a celebration the Mendelsohns are hosting this coming Sunday.
“It’s nice to have a young couple with babies,” he states. “Jews here are blessed to have this family and see them grow.”
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