Jerusalem Professor Sydney Engelberg Pictured Lecturing With Baby, Becomes Viral Hit

Professor Becomes Unlikely Viral Hit For Giving A Lecture While Holding A Baby
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An Israeli professor has become an unlikely viral sensation after one of his students snapped a picture of him holding a baby during a lecture.

Professor Sydney Engelberg had picked up the baby when his mother, one of Engelberg's students, left the room. The baby began to cry uncontrollably, so the kindhearted professor picked him up to calm him down.

The organizational behaviour lecturer apparently encourages his female students to bring their children to class.

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"Show me another professor who does that," Engelberg's daughter Sarit Fishbaine said. "Because my dad is simply the best in the world."

"He’s gotten love letters," his wife Fredi Siskind Engelberg told Yahoo. "He’s pretty blasé about it, and we just find it all very funny. I think it must have happened on a no-news day."

But thousands of commenters on Reddit and Facebook would beg to differ. "This is a professor who truly cares about the education of his students," one viewer said. "Seriously."

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Engelberg supposedly kept the child in his arms throughout the rest of the lecture.

10 Baby Naming Traditions From Around The World
Japan Traditions(01 of10)
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Japanese families hold a baby naming ceremony on the seventh night after a newborn’s birth called, Oshichiya Meimeishiki. Once a name is chosen, the father has it handwritten in Japanese calligraphy on the Meimeisho (a name certificate in the form a scroll or poster), which is displayed in the home. It was once common for baby girls to receive virtuous names that end in -ko, which means “child” (ex.Yoshiko means "good child"). When families were larger, Japanese boys were often named according to their birth order (ex. Ichiro means “first son”). (credit:Getty Images/Blend Images)
Akan Traditions (02 of10)
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The Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast follow a unique naming system. A child’s first name typically corresponds with the day of the week they were born and their sex (an Akan male born on Monday would be called "Kwadwo," and Akan female born on Monday would be called "Adwoa"). Babies can also receive names based on the circumstances of their birth, their birth order or whether they are a twin. Variations of this naming practice are used across West Africa and the African diaspora. (credit:Getty Images)
Hawaiian Traditions(03 of10)
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Traditionally, Hawaiians believed that a person’s name was their greatest possession and had the power to influence their life. A unique and meaningful name was thoughtfully chosen for every child. A name could be passed down to relatives from the gods via signs, visions or dreams. A child could also be named after a family member, or according to the circumstances of their birth. Additionally, the moniker chosen had to align with the family’s social class, and could never be taken from another family. Authentic Hawaiian names were unisex, and in addition to its literal meaning, a child’s name also had symbolic meanings that only the family knew. (credit:Getty Images)
Jewish Traditions (04 of10)
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Sephardic and Mizrahi Jews traditionally name a child after a living relative. Ashkenazi Jews, on the other hand, will often give a child a name that honours a deceased relative. However, it is considered bad luck for both the child and their namesake if the infant is named after a living relative. Parents may keep the baby's name a secret until the official naming ceremony, which is held when the baby is eight days old. Children often receive a Hebrew name and an English name. (credit:Tetra Images - Jamie Grill)
Chinese Traditions (05 of10)
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Traditionally, Chinese parents named a newborn 100 days after their birth. Now parents have one month before they must register a child’s name. During this period, a superstitious practice was to give a baby a “milk” name that was offensive, such as “mud face” or “excrement.” This revolting name was believed to keep evil spirits away from the child during their fragile first days. A child’s milk name may stick with them as a nickname throughout childhood. In Chinese tradition, much thought is put into naming a child, as it is believed that a name can influence a person’s life. Therefore, a name typically expresses the family’s hopes for a child’s future. Parents draw inspiration from a child's birth date and the five elements. It is taboo to name a child after a celebrity, an elder, a ruler or a historical figure. (credit:Getty Images)
Inuit Traditions(06 of10)
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The Inuit believe that a name is an essential part of a person, carrying with it certain skills and character traits. Parents choose the name of a deceased loved one, called an "atiq" or "soul name," a few days after he or she is born. Only then are they considered a complete person. The Inuit believe that child will receive the relative's spirit and traits. The child must also adopt the kinship terms that their namesake used (ie. if a child is named after their mother’s father, she may refer to the child as “father”). They also believe a newborn will stop crying once the correct name has been chosen. The mother also has the option of choosing the name of a deceased relative that appeared to her in a dream while she was pregnant or one that had a similar birthmark to her child’s. (credit:Shutterstock / Evgeny Atamanenko)
Egyptian Traditions(07 of10)
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Egyptians have a naming ceremony called “Sebou” held seven days after a child’s birth. To settle any controversy surrounding the baby's name, some parents decide on at least three names and assign each name to a candle. The candles are lit at the beginning of the ceremony, and the child will take the name of the candle that burns the longest. (credit:Getty Images/OJO Images RF)
Hindu Traditions(08 of10)
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Hindus consider naming a baby to be a sacred practice. Hindu families hold a naming ceremony called "Namakaran" or "Naamkaran Sanskar" on the 11th night of a child’s life or even later in certain communities. A family priest or an astronomer often chooses the first letter of the child’s name based on the date and time of their birth, as well as the alignment of the stars and planets at that time. It’s considered lucky for the child to receive a name that begins with this letter. In some communities, the naming ceremony is performed by the paternal aunt who chooses a name for the child and whispers it into his or her ears, before announcing it to the family.
Wik-mungkan Traditions(09 of10)
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Families in the Wik-mungkan tribe of Australia choose a name for a baby while the mother is giving birth. The midwife calls out the names of the baby’s living relatives, and the name that is called when the placenta is delivered is the name the child will receive. (credit:Getty Images/Fuse)
Islam Traditions(10 of10)
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A baby is named on the seventh day after his or her birth. The mother and father decide on an Islamic name together that has a positive or virtuous meaning. Parents often name their children in honour of the prophets, such as Ali, Ibrahim or Mohammed. It is not uncommon for siblings to share the same name. (credit:Shutterstock / glayan)