Simchat Bat (Baby Naming for Girls) Girls are also brought into our covenant with the Divine when they are babies. Although the preference for a ceremony marking this may vary from family to family, here at Temple B’nai Torah we accommodate two types of ceremony.

One such ceremony may involve blessings by the parents thanking God for a safe delivery, for a healthy child, asking for help in raising the child, and promising to raise her as a Jew. Other family members may wish to give blessings or say something, godparents may be honored with holding the baby, or may give a blessing. The child\’s name is announced, with some explanation of who she was named for or what the significance is of the name. The Rabbi will bless the child, using a naming ceremony for girls which has all the same blessings and readings for a girl as for a boy, minus the blessing of milah (circumcision) itself, and then there may be a reception.

More simply, the child can be brought to the Temple on Shabbat and be named by the Rabbi on the bimah during services, which is a nice way of making this personal family event a celebration for the community and a chance for the congregation to welcome the newest member into the Jewish people.

In recent years, more and more couples are finding adoption as the pathway to creating a Jewish family. In many instances the baby’s birth mother is not Jewish, and the parents may be concerned about the baby’s Jewish status. If you are considering adoption, please contact Rabbi to discuss the appropriate way to welcome your newest family member into the convenant of the Jewish people.