Brit Milah & Simchat Bat

Explain naming ceremonies simply; connect to the meaning of each child’s Hebrew name.

Children wonder and discover; you facilitate more than you lecture.

• What are these rituals and why are they Jewish?
• Why are they important?

Brit milah (covenant of circumcision) and simchat bat (celebration for a daughter) welcome a baby into the covenant and bestow a Hebrew name.

• Brit — covenant
• Shem Ivri — Hebrew name

“What if I didn’t have one of these?”

Families welcome children in many ways; what matters is being welcomed and loved.

• Children understand these welcoming rituals and the significance of Jewish names.
• Children reflect on their own naming/welcoming.

Keep it gentle and inclusive of all bodies, families, and customs; focus on welcome and naming, not anatomy.

Folktale. Naming the Baby (Folklore) — a tale of how a Hebrew name is chosen to honor someone loved.

Changemaker. Rabbi Sally Priesand — the first American woman rabbi, who helped create new welcoming ceremonies for daughters.

What should a welcoming ceremony include — and why might families choose differently?

“We learned about Jewish welcoming ceremonies and names. Try at home: share your child’s Hebrew name and who they’re named for.”