Dressed and Blessed: The Abraham Family, Brit Milah and Dress in Colonial Ballarat, 1850–1900

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article investigates how Jewish women negotiated their familial, social and religious identifications in the more private realm of the home and domestic sphere in colonial Australia. The life of Rebecca Abraham (nee Crawcour), a Jewish woman, and the three white baby dresses she lovingly made for her children give a fascinating glimpse into the hidden world of the colonial Jewish mother and the important life rituals (brit milah) of her children. As Rebecca demonstrates, faith, family and motherhood continued to define one another on the Central Victorian Goldfields, though in altered ways as Jewish families responded to the colonial environment and surrounding society. Through a material culture and micro-historical approach, this article argues that Jewish women were important mediators of a middle-class identity, contributing to the larger process of acculturation for the Jewish community in subtle yet significant ways. This article provides the first study addressing the connection between infant dress, brit milah (circumcision ceremony) and the identities of colonial Jewish families, touching upon several significant research gaps to uncover the familial and maternal lives of colonial Jewish women.