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Covenant & Naming Rituals

Historically, Jewish people have formally welcomed boys into the covenant with God, marking the occasion with celebration and circumcision. The birth of a girl was met with joy, but no ritual or communal celebration. We offer a variety of ways to formally welcome both girls and boys. You’ll also find naming rituals and blessings for parents, grandparents and children.

Photo by Jordan Cassway

Gift of a Daughter: Zeved Habat

By Carol and Rabbi Neal Rose | Complete Ceremony

Draws on traditional Sephardic Zeved Habat ceremony and adds new rituals, including Miriam's chair and modern poetry [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Tags: covenant, Miriam, naming

Simchat Banot

By Sally Friedman and David Gmach | Complete Ceremony

A welcoming ceremony for twins [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Tags: covenant, Elijah, naming, shehekheyanu , welcoming

A Prayer for a Special Candle Lighting

By Rabbi Fred V. Davidow and Rabbi David Fass | Prayer

"There is a new light in our hearts and in our home..." [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Tags: candle lighting

The Simchat Bat of Elana Shira

Complete Ceremony

A ceremony for welcoming a baby girl into the covenant [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Tags: covenant, naming, priestly blessing, welcoming

Simchat Brit

By Debra Ruth Kolodny | Complete Ceremony

Proposed service that includes new text, ritual objects, and a central role for the purifying blood of the mother [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Tags: covenant, naming, shehekheyanu

A Mother Talks About Her Daughter's Babynaming

By Diane Cohler Esses | Article

A rabbi discusses her desire to incorporate the notion of covenant into her daughter's babynaming. [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Tags: covenant

Celebrating Your New Jewish Baby

By Debra Nussbaum-Cohen | Article

A brief guide to babynaming history and how-to [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Tags: covenant

Baby Announcement

Document

A simple baby announcement [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Parental Prayer

Prayer

Traditional prayer for parents to say over a new baby in Hebrew and English [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Traditional Parental Blessing

Prayer

This blessing is traditionally used every Friday evening by parents when blessing their children. [more]

Found In: Covenant & Naming Rituals, Friday Evening

Tags: at the shabbat table, Marcia Falk, priestly blessing