Brit and Baby Blessings

Our tradition has always celebrated the precious gift of a new child. We welcome all children with joy and excitement, whether in intimate home ceremonies or together with the wider community.

Birth and naming rituals are imbued with hope. It is an act of hope to bring a new child into the world and there are all the hopes and dreams that people have for their children and for themselves as parents.

Whilst there is no one way to mark the joyous arrival of a child, there are many rituals that provide a space for parents to give thanks for the new life that is now a part of their family.

Rituals and ceremonies for welcoming a child include:

• A prayer on the Birth or Adoption of a Child (see Siddur Lev Chadash, page 581).

Ceremonies traditionally held on the eighth day after birth (health permitting):

• Initiating a Boy into the Covenant (Brit Milah; see Siddur Lev Chadash, pages 581–584).
• Initiating a Girl into the Covenant (Brit Bat; see Siddur Lev Chadash, pages 585–587).
• Seder Brit Milah: Service at Circumcision (see Forms of Prayer, pages 438-440).
• Seder Zeved Ha-Bat: The Precious Gift of a Daughter (see Forms of Prayer, pages 440-441)

Ceremonies held later in the synagogue, when a child is publicly welcomed into the community and given a Hebrew name:

• Thanksgiving for the Birth of a Child, also known as a Baby Blessing (see Siddur Lev Chadash, pages 588–590)
• Thanksgiving Service for Parents / Naming of a Child (see Forms of Prayer, pages 360–361).

Parents will often also either combine these ceremonies, or hold a separate event within synagogue, where the child is given their Hebrew name, thus creating a new link to Judaism’s past and future.

Brit Milah (circumcision)

The circumcision of boys, a ritual known as Brit Milah, is an ancient and deeply moving tradition marking a boy’s place in the Jewish community, in an unbroken chain going back to our patriarchs Abraham and Isaac.

Practised by many cultures throughout the world, but associated especially with Jewish identity, male circumcision is known to have a variety of health benefits as well as bringing a unique sense of cultural belonging. All mohalim within Progressive Judaism are trained doctors.

Brit Milah can be carried out in a clinical setting, but is traditionally done at home or in the synagogue, where it becomes a joyous family occasion. Mohalim are skilled in making this a meaningful spiritual occasion, and a rabbi or cantor can also be present.

We know some parents have reservations about circumcision, not wishing their son to undergo a procedure which is not medically necessary. A rabbi or cantor will always be happy to discuss these concerns sensitively.

You may also find the video below helpful.

To find out more about all the different ways to welcome a child, your local community’s rabbi, cantor or lay leader should be your first point of contact.