shalom zachar

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Pronunciations

shalom zachar (shah-LOHM zah-KHAR) listen
sholom zochor (SHUH-lohm ZUH-kher) listen

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Definitions

  • n. A party to celebrate the birth of a son, usually held at the house of the child's parents on the first Friday night after his birth.

Example Sentences

  • "I'm looking for 1 or 2 ideas easy yet pretty things to send for a kiddush or shalom zachor." (source)

  • "Mr. and Mrs. Dan Levy invite the congregation to a sholem zocher at 8:30 P.M." (Glinert)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew

Etymology

  • שלום זכר 'peace of the male'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • Australia / New Zealand
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).

      Alternative Spellings

      sholom zochar, sholem zocher, sholem zokher, shalom zachor, sholom zochor, shalom zachur, shalom zochor

Notes

  • Sefardim may celebrate the occasion the night before the circumcision ceremony.

    Peas and beans (e.g., chickpeas) are often served to ward off evil spirits (see arbes).

    A reception to honor the birth of a female is called a brit bat and is a more contemporary innovation.

    See also ben zachar and zachar habrit.

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