Are you pregnant? Have you recently given birth? Are you seeking guidance on ways you might welcome your new child into the covenant of the Jewish people and our community? We are here as a community to help you celebrate this wonderful time and to embrace your child into our family.
Beth Shalom, and more broadly, Reform Judaism, considers the child of a Jewish parent and non-Jewish parent, by birth or adoption, who is raised as a Jew, to be Jewish. The fact that the child has a non-Jewish parent does not diminish the child's Jewishness in any way. In many interfaith families, the non-Jewish partners often play key roles in our community and in providing for their children's Jewish education. Non-Jewish parents, grandparents, and relatives my enjoy significant roles in raising a Jewish child, beginning with the Baby Naming or Brit Milah (Covenant of Circumcision).
Please contact our office manager, who will arrange for you to either meet with or talk to Rabbi Edery about your vision for this wonderful welcome.
Simchat Bat - Celebration of the Daughter
A beautiful way to welcome your daughter into the Jewish covenant is a ceremony to formally give her a Hebrew name. The ceremony may take place at any time but is customary to do during the first few months after the baby’s birth.
The naming ceremony often takes place during Shabbat services, as the giving of a Hebrew name is the way in which parents introduce their child into Jewish life and into a life-long belonging to the Jewish community.
Brit Milah (Bris) - Covenant of Circumcision
Brit milah comes from the covenant that was made between God and Abraham in the Torah, and the circumcision is a sign of that continuing relationship between God and the Jewish people. It takes place on the eighth day of the boy’s life (the day the baby is born is counted as the first day unless the birth happens after sundown). In some instances, the circumcision may be delayed for medical reasons.
The ceremony may take place at home, at the synagogue, or other locations. As part of the ceremony, the baby is given a Hebrew name. The ritual circumcision is performed by a mohel, who is often also a doctor. For the contact information of local mohalim, please contact our office. Rabbi Edery will be glad to participate in the ceremony with the mohel, or the mohel may perform the entire ceremony.
Adoption and Special Circumstances
We rejoice when a Jewish child is brought into the covenant through his or her family, regardless of age. Please contact our Rabbi to discuss the appropriate ways to welcome your child into the covenant and the Jewish community.