Jewish baby naming rituals are welcome and appropriate for all Jewish children, biological and adopted. The Jewish community delights with you in the newest addition to your family!

Baby Naming/Bris

A baby naming ceremony is a beautiful milestone in the Jewish life cycle. Parents share the joy of their child with the community, as well as announcing the child's secular and Hebrew names. They will also give their child blessings and express their hopes for their child's future.

A name can have incredible significance and is often chosen carefully as a way of respecting the past and honoring those important people in the child’s life. During the ceremony, parents will have an opportunity to share why a particular name was chosen. A Hebrew name will be used on all the significant religious occasions of a child's life, such as b'nei mitzvah and marriage. This name is also shared with the next generation as each person's Hebrew name also bears the name of one's parents.

For a baby boy, the naming ceremony, called a bris or brit milah, traditionally takes place eight days after birth and includes circumcision which is performed by a mohel/mohelet.  However, a boy may have a naming ceremony that is separate from the act of circumcision. For instance, some families chose to have a child circumcised in the hospital followed by a separate naming ceremony sometime later. In some cases, a boy may be named at an older age than eight days.

The naming ceremony for a baby girl, a brit bat, is a newer innovation (without the physical piece) that may occur at any time. A brit bat often takes place within the first months of a child's life.

I will work with you (and a mohel/mohelet in the case of a bris) to craft a ceremony that lovingly reflects your child and your family. The ceremony can include family members and friends who can offer blessings or may have other roles as well. As each family is unique, I will meet with you to explore what is most befitting for you, your child and your family.

To discuss your child's naming ceremony, please contact me.