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.

Latest Rituals

A modern poem based on biblical texts

Draws on traditional Sephardic Zeved Habat ceremony and adds new rituals, including Miriam’s chair and modern poetry

A welcoming ceremony for twins

“There is a new light in our hearts and in our home…”

A ceremony for welcoming a baby girl into the covenant

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

A rabbi discusses her desire to incorporate the notion of covenant into her daughter’s babynaming

A brief guide to babynaming history and how-to

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

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

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

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The Reconstructionist Network