Birth
Brit Milah
At the age of eight days every male among you throughout the generations shall be circumcised.
Genesis 17:12
Brit (covenant) milah (of circumcision) signifies the covenant between God and the Jews. While there continues to be discussion about the risks and benefits of circumcision, ultimately, as Jews, we recognise that circumcision is the sign of the covenant. The brit milah is traditionally held as early as possible in the eighth day, signifying the parents’ eagerness to bring their child to the convenant.
It is customary to appoint a kvater (man) and a kvaterin (woman) whose role is to bring the child into the room for the circumcision. These people become the child’s godparents, who carry the responsibility of nurturing, educating and morally guiding the child throughout his life. The sandek holds the child during the brit. Often this honor is given to a grandparent or great grandparent.
The brit is customarily performed in the home, but can also be done in hospital or a doctor’s rooms. The following ritual items are required:
• A place for the brit to take place (a table or chair)
• A pillow or cushion for the child to lie on and be carried into the room upon
• An empty chair designated for Elijah, present at a brit milah to protect the child
• A Kiddush cup with wine (usually provided by the rabbi or mohel)
The ceremony is simple and brief. It is customary, but not required by Halakha (Jewish Law), to have a minyan of ten people present. The child is brought into the room, blessings are said, the circumcision is performed and the child is given a few drops of wine. The child’s Hebrew name is given with the blessing of the wine.
Brit HaBat
When a girl is born, there are many options available to welcome her into the world and bring her into the covenant. While traditionally a service only found among women in Sephardic communities, the demand for ceremonies to welcome daughters has grown in contemporary congregations. The ceremony can be held in the home or a venue of the parents’ choice. Many of the blessings and prayers from the brit milah can be adapted to be suitable for a girl. Our rabbis will be happy to work with you to help make this a meaningful ceremony for you and your family.
Baby Naming
A fair name is better than a precious balm.
Ecclesiastes 7:1
Names in Jewish tradition hold great significance. In the past, children were given a single name, but over time, this has changed and in many communities they are given a name for every day, while their ‘Hebrew name’ is just kept for ritual purposes. Traditions vary as to the source of the name. Sephardic Jews traditionally name children after a living relative, while Ashkenazic Jews do not. More recent practices include the use of modern Israeli names, Hebrew names that have a similar sound or meaning to the child’s everyday name, or a name from the Tanach.
There is a ceremony for the giving of a Hebrew name which is a public way of welcoming the baby and providing the opportunity to give him or her a blessing. For a boy, this is typically part of the brit milah, while for a girl, it would be part of the covenant ceremony. It is traditional to name a boy on the eighth day after birth and a girl within the first month.
At the age of eight days every male among you throughout the generations shall be circumcised.
Genesis 17:12
Brit (covenant) milah (of circumcision) signifies the covenant between God and the Jews. While there continues to be discussion about the risks and benefits of circumcision, ultimately, as Jews, we recognise that circumcision is the sign of the covenant. The brit milah is traditionally held as early as possible in the eighth day, signifying the parents’ eagerness to bring their child to the convenant.
It is customary to appoint a kvater (man) and a kvaterin (woman) whose role is to bring the child into the room for the circumcision. These people become the child’s godparents, who carry the responsibility of nurturing, educating and morally guiding the child throughout his life. The sandek holds the child during the brit. Often this honor is given to a grandparent or great grandparent.
The brit is customarily performed in the home, but can also be done in hospital or a doctor’s rooms. The following ritual items are required:
• A place for the brit to take place (a table or chair)
• A pillow or cushion for the child to lie on and be carried into the room upon
• An empty chair designated for Elijah, present at a brit milah to protect the child
• A Kiddush cup with wine (usually provided by the rabbi or mohel)
The ceremony is simple and brief. It is customary, but not required by Halakha (Jewish Law), to have a minyan of ten people present. The child is brought into the room, blessings are said, the circumcision is performed and the child is given a few drops of wine. The child’s Hebrew name is given with the blessing of the wine.
Brit HaBat
When a girl is born, there are many options available to welcome her into the world and bring her into the covenant. While traditionally a service only found among women in Sephardic communities, the demand for ceremonies to welcome daughters has grown in contemporary congregations. The ceremony can be held in the home or a venue of the parents’ choice. Many of the blessings and prayers from the brit milah can be adapted to be suitable for a girl. Our rabbis will be happy to work with you to help make this a meaningful ceremony for you and your family.
Baby Naming
A fair name is better than a precious balm.
Ecclesiastes 7:1
Names in Jewish tradition hold great significance. In the past, children were given a single name, but over time, this has changed and in many communities they are given a name for every day, while their ‘Hebrew name’ is just kept for ritual purposes. Traditions vary as to the source of the name. Sephardic Jews traditionally name children after a living relative, while Ashkenazic Jews do not. More recent practices include the use of modern Israeli names, Hebrew names that have a similar sound or meaning to the child’s everyday name, or a name from the Tanach.
There is a ceremony for the giving of a Hebrew name which is a public way of welcoming the baby and providing the opportunity to give him or her a blessing. For a boy, this is typically part of the brit milah, while for a girl, it would be part of the covenant ceremony. It is traditional to name a boy on the eighth day after birth and a girl within the first month.
B'nei Mitzvah
Over the years as a Jewish educator I have developed a wonderful B'nei Mitzvah program. Through the process of becoming Bar/Bat Mitzvah, I aim to create knowledgeable young Jewish adults who will become active members of the community, and who have a love of Judaism that will guide them throughout their lives. The program has a number of components including study & prayer.
Marriage
The Hebrew word for marriage is Kiddushin, meaning holiness. The act of joining two people who love each other as spouses is one of the most sacred and beautiful in our tradition. I would like to be involved in your wedding with you and to do all we can to make your day as special and wonderful as possible.
To assist in this process, I have created a wedding guide. This guide will help you to navigate through the wedding, its formalities, traditions and special touches.
To download a PDF copy of the book which guides you through the wedding preparation.
To assist in this process, I have created a wedding guide. This guide will help you to navigate through the wedding, its formalities, traditions and special touches.
To download a PDF copy of the book which guides you through the wedding preparation.
Conversion
Wherever you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people are my people,
and your God is my God;
where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Ruth 1:16-17
For thousands of years, Ruth and others have been joining themselves to the Jewish people, accepting both our history and our destiny as theirs. The details of joining the Jewish people have changed over the centuries, but the general procedure remains the same since the time the rabbis first discussed the issue in the Talmud. To become a Jew, a person must act not for any ulterior motive; rather, one must accept Judaism as his or her exclusive religious practice and the Jewish people as his or her nation.
The beginning of the procedure requires exploring the Jewish community, attending services the evening and morning of Shabbat, and getting to know the rabbis and other members of the congregation. In addition, an individual should explore other synagogues in the area and meet the rabbis there as well to discuss with them their approach to conversion. Attendance at education courses and reading of basic background books, both fiction and non-fiction, is usually required. Because becoming a Jew is more than accepting a faith - it is adopting a history, observing the mitzvot (commandments) and traditions in a daily way of life and connecting to a nation with a particular destiny - the process of conversion takes at least one year.
At the end of the period of study and internalization of tradition, the person desiring to convert will answer certain questions before a Bet Din (a court of three rabbis) regarding belief and practice. Males must be circumcised, and both men and women immerse themselves in the mikvah (the ritual bath) as part of conversion.
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people are my people,
and your God is my God;
where you die, I will die,
and there I will be buried.
Ruth 1:16-17
For thousands of years, Ruth and others have been joining themselves to the Jewish people, accepting both our history and our destiny as theirs. The details of joining the Jewish people have changed over the centuries, but the general procedure remains the same since the time the rabbis first discussed the issue in the Talmud. To become a Jew, a person must act not for any ulterior motive; rather, one must accept Judaism as his or her exclusive religious practice and the Jewish people as his or her nation.
The beginning of the procedure requires exploring the Jewish community, attending services the evening and morning of Shabbat, and getting to know the rabbis and other members of the congregation. In addition, an individual should explore other synagogues in the area and meet the rabbis there as well to discuss with them their approach to conversion. Attendance at education courses and reading of basic background books, both fiction and non-fiction, is usually required. Because becoming a Jew is more than accepting a faith - it is adopting a history, observing the mitzvot (commandments) and traditions in a daily way of life and connecting to a nation with a particular destiny - the process of conversion takes at least one year.
At the end of the period of study and internalization of tradition, the person desiring to convert will answer certain questions before a Bet Din (a court of three rabbis) regarding belief and practice. Males must be circumcised, and both men and women immerse themselves in the mikvah (the ritual bath) as part of conversion.
Bereavement
The mitzvah of leviyat hamet, burying the dead, is considered one of the greatest in Judaism in that it is an act that cannot be repaid by the beneficiary. The traditions of honoring the dead and taking care of their needs are spelled out in great detail and demonstrate love and respect for the deceased. A Chevra Kadisha (Jewish burial society) provides for any Jew to be buried. In the event of death, one calls the Chevra of town and they then contact the synagogue to determine funeral times (generally within 24 hours) and who is available to officiate at the funeral.
After the funeral, the mitzvah of nichum avelim, comforting the mourners, arises among relatives and friends of those in mourning. Those who are mourners are the spouse, parents, siblings and children of the deceased. The rituals of mourning vary over the period of the week and month after the funeral (and year from the date of death for the children of the deceased). These are discussed by the rabbi or cantor with the mourners at a visit prior to the funeral.
An excellent source of information is Rabbi Maurice Lamm's The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning.
After the funeral, the mitzvah of nichum avelim, comforting the mourners, arises among relatives and friends of those in mourning. Those who are mourners are the spouse, parents, siblings and children of the deceased. The rituals of mourning vary over the period of the week and month after the funeral (and year from the date of death for the children of the deceased). These are discussed by the rabbi or cantor with the mourners at a visit prior to the funeral.
An excellent source of information is Rabbi Maurice Lamm's The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning.
