Welcoming & Raising Children

We greet each child with affection and joy. Every baby comes to us full of promise and potential. As parents, we are privileged to welcome them into our families, our communities, and the embrace of the Jewish people. Raising children to adulthood, we encounter many milestones along the way. Children are weaned, lose their teeth, and start school. Some get their driver’s licenses and eventually leave home for good. Here are rituals for welcoming children and for celebrating the milestones on their paths to adulthood.

Latest Rituals

“my body has been a source of sustenance and nourishment for my little one”
woman shown from afar sitting under tree with red leaves breastfeeding a baby. The woman is white with soft blond wavy hair.
“How might we mark the moment of birth and coming into Jewish covenant without focusing on the gender and genitals of an infant?”
closeup of person's white hands holding white baby's small bare feet with dappled sunlight shining
“May you claim your ancient power”
brown skinned woman in black tank dress holding hands and dancing with two brown skinned girls by the ocean with water in the background and sunlight
“We praise you, Shekhinah, / who has given us life”
Ritualwell Tradition & Innovation logo placeholder
“We all have a name / given by the mountains we climb”
person standing on mountain in front of sea of clouds and sunshine
Baby naming tradition matching Hebrew letters of child’s name to biblical verses
Schein Family Baby Naming Traditions
“May you grow to be a strong woman”
Brit Bat: A Four Worlds Baby Naming Ceremony

“We pray that those yearning to conceive, carry, foster or adopt will lead to a joyful outcome”

Prayer for Those Yearning for a Child

“Our tradition teaches that the birth of a child brings with it a new possibility for redemption, for transformative justice, for peace and wholeness.” 

Brit Shemot: Baby Naming Ceremony

This ritual can be woven into an aliyah, another part of a Torah service or can stand alone

Brit Torah: Baby Naming Ceremony

The Reconstructionist Network

From Brokenness to Healing: Making Meaning through Memoir

We will focus on the definition of trauma, how returning to it can help heal, how writing structure and pacing can help contain it, and how we can revision ourselves before and after. 

Six sessions, starting April 18th

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.