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Covenant & Naming Rituals

A couple lovingly gazes at their newborn baby, who is lying on a white blanket.

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

Three ceremonies for a boy’s brit milah, with readings and explanations. Includes options for circumcision at the ceremony or not.

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Phrases from the Bible are used to form an acrostic of the child’s name – a tradition in ceremony and prayer – in this welcoming ceremony for an adopted son who has not yet undergone conversion.

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Celebrating the gift of life through faith, love, and courage
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A blessing of gratitude

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A mother expresses her ambivalence about circumcision in this powerful letter
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A letter from a father to his son about his conflicted decision to circumcise him

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How Jewish feminism is influencing this boys’ ritual and enlarging meaning
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An intermarried mother reflects on her son’s bris (circumcision)

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The biblical foundation of the centuries-old Sephardic tradition for welcoming a newborn girl
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Frameworks for the style of a welcoming and naming ritual

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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