Auctioning the right to name their daughter for $20,000
The family posted an advert on Craigslist in January and suggested that prospective buyers may want to choose a name to honor a relative or even a Holocaust victim. Despite the ad, the baby was named Rina on Saturday-without the influence of any bidders.
The Jewish family said they planned to use the money to help with school tuition fees and the cost of living in their home in Lakewood.
The name Rina is the Hebrew word for "joy".
After the peculiar ad was posted, it was removed from Craigslist for violating the terms of service.
The man who wrote the ad contacted the Jewish News service JTA.org to say that his ad was indeed a real offer.
NJ.com reports that the family got four offers before the ad was removed.
The father wrote in his ad, 'This is an excellent opportunity for someone who did not have children, or someone looking to honor a relative, or even to honor someone who was killed in the Holocaust.'
The JTA interviewed the father who identified himself as a schoolteacher from Lakewood.
When asked what the family would do with the $20,000, he said he would use the funds to support his child.
The father explained that tuition in Lakewood and rent is quite expensive.
This is the family's ninth daughter and the family already used family names for their other children.
The family said they would like a baby name and a secular name but wouldn't accept 'crazy names' like 'Box'. They say they'd prefer something Biblical.
In the Jewish tradition, children receive both a biblical name and a secular name because one is used for religious purposes and ceremonies and the other is used in the everyday world.
Family and friends hold a small baby naming ceremony. If the baby is a boy, he will be circumcised.
The family originally said they would treat whomever named their daughter like a loved member of the family.
'We’d stay in touch with her, invite her to the bat mitzvah, wedding, say Kaddish for them after 120 years,' said the father.
JTA interviewed the father and asked him why he came up with the idea to post an ad on Craigslist.
'About four or five years ago, I remember hearing in the news that someone else did the same thing. We’re a little rushed; we’d like to name the baby on Saturday. We tried to post it to eBay, but it was a little more complicated than we thought, so we posted it on Craigslist,' he said.
The father asked JTA to put out a press release saying he is auctioning the right to sell his daughter's name.
The JTA offered help by setting up an email address for readers to send their naming suggestions but the family decided to come up with their own original name for their little bundle of 'joy'.
