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.
Description of the first haircut in Jewish tradition
A beautiful song, a lullaby, about fully accepting our children and offering them complete freedom to become themselves
A beautiful weaning ceremony celebrated at Havdalah for twins and their mom
A ceremony marked by sweet scents
Celebrated when a child is 30 days old, this traditional ceremony is reimagined for boys and girls
A tekhine, traditional prayer, to be said by a new mother before the bris of her son
Traditional Brit Milah with added readings and prayers