Judaism Baby Naming Ceremonies
In the Jewish religion, baby naming ceremonies serve both as a way to introduce a newborn to the community and to initiate the newborn into Judaism's rites of passage. The ceremony for boy babies---called Berit Milah---is observed in much the same way by Jews from wide-ranging traditions such as Orthodox, Hasidic and Reformist. The naming ceremony for girls---Zeved Habat---on the other hand, has fewer long-established rules and is celebrated in different ways.
Other People Are Reading
-
Berit Milah Ceremony
-
The boy naming (Berit Milah) ceremony is one of the most abided by of all Jewish ceremonies. This ceremony combines the naming and circumcision of an infant Jewish boy and is always carried out on the eighth day after his birth. The ceremony is performed during the daylight hours (before sundown). The circumcision is done by a mohel (which means circumciser), and only men are allowed to attend the ceremony. The baby boy's godfather holds him during the ceremony. Blessings and prayers are said, and then his formal Hebrew name is given. Afterward, there is usually an extravagant meal for relatives and friends.
Hebrew Boy Names
-
Formal Hebrew names for Jewish boys are distinct from their everyday names that are given at birth. There are no official rules in naming boys, but the traditional Hebrew form for a boy is as follows: his first name, followed by "ben," followed by his father's last name. If the family is from a specific tribe, another name is added last, such as Ha-Levi, or Ha-Kohein (for the Levi and Kohein tribes, respectively).
-
Zeved Habat Ceremony
-
The baby girl naming ceremony (Zeved Habat) has fewer strict rules than does the boys' ceremony, but there are traditions that are usually adhered to. Typically, a girl is named on the first Sabbath after her birth in the synagogue as her father reads the Torah. This Torah reading is called aliyah, and it is an honor in Judaism. The ceremony doesn't have to take place on the first Sabbath, though. Anytime the Torah is being read at synagogue within her first week of life is acceptable.
Prayers are read, and family members might write and read meditations on the new life among them. Afterward, as with sons, a feast is usually eaten at the family's home. Today, Jews unassociated with a synagogue may choose to hold this ceremony at their home, and without aliyah.
Hebrew Girl Names
-
Formal Hebrew names for daughters are also different from their everyday names. As with boys, the rules are unofficial, just traditional. A girl's name would be her first name, followed by "bat," followed by her father's last name. As with boys, if the family is from a specific tribe, the daughter's last name will be followed by Ha- and the name of the tribe. An example of a baby girl's name is: Neora Bat Rosenstein Ha-Levi.
Other Forms of Naming
-
A family may choose not to formally name their child in Hebrew; they may choose a Yiddish name. There also are some Jews who give their baby a unique first name in the language of where they live and a middle name from a beloved or recently deceased family member. Some Jewish people hold superstitious beliefs that naming a baby after a living relative is bad luck. There are other Jewish people, however, who very typically name their child after the same-gender parent or a same-gender living relative who is very respected.
-
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Baby feet image by Platinum Pictures from Fotolia.com
