Secular Jewish Ceremonies

for cultural Jews, their partners and their families

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BABYNAMINGS

A happy mother and her child
We celebrate the birth of a child - or an adoption into one's family - with a joyful naming ceremony that treats baby boys and girls equally. We include lovely readings, a parent(s)' pledge, and the naming itself, which explains the origins of the name and our hopes for the newborn child.

There are many traditions associated with the birth of a child that we, as cultural Jews, feel free to adopt, adapt or discard altogether. While some make links to the past by naming after a relative, others have freely chosen names without such connections. While it is traditional for the naming to be conducted on the eighth day after birth we are not bound by that timetable.

Also, in Humanistic Judaism, circumcision is not a requirement for Jewish identity; some parents preserve this practice while others do not. For those who do, this procedure is generally conducted in the hospital and is followed later on by a separate and beautiful naming ceremony.

As a community, we love to celebrate baby namings in the context of our Shabbat celebrations. Arrangements can also be made to hold these events at home or a local restaurant.