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

“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

To be performed on the 8th day or another day

Seder Milah: Ritual Circumcision

Poem on parenting new baby struggling to feed 

Olam Hazeh

A blessing for a baby girl 

A Blessing for a Baby Girl

“Your birthright renews every breath”

Tomorrow

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

Count On Telling Your Story: A Ritualwell In-Person Immersion

Join us for Count On Telling Your Story: A Ritualwell In-Person Immersion on Sunday, June 9th. Mix and mingle with old and new friends, enjoy delicious kosher-vegetarian food and engage in a variety of creative, thought-provoking sessions exploring rituals, writing, and art.

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The Reconstructionist Network