BRIT MILAH (BRIS / CIRCUMCISION) AND BABY NAMING
In the Jewish faith, a baby boy at 8 days old is commanded to make a sacred covenant with God. This covenant is symbolized through a brit milah (you may also know this ceremony as a bris or a circumcision) and is conducted by a mohel.
The Hebrew word brit milah or bris means "covenant of circumcision". The religious ceremony of a bris has several parts to its choreography. For starters, there is the honor of assigning the sandek. The sandek is the one who holds the baby during the act of the bris performed by the mohel. There is the honor of assigning the kvater (essentially a Yiddish term translated as "Godfather") and is responsible for taking the baby from the parents and carrying him to the physical space where the bris is to take place and handing the baby to the sandek.
It's during this same religious ceremony, the brit milah or bris, that the baby is given his Hebrew name during the baby naming. There are many different traditions when choosing a Hebrew name and is as sacred and meaningful a process as choosing an English name. Using specific Hebrew letters, using the Hebrew name of a family member who has passed away or simply choosing a Hebrew name that has a powerful or specific meaning are among the few approaches when choosing the perfect Hebrew name(s).
Similarly, for the baby naming of a baby girl, this ceremony and choosing the perfect Hebrew name(s) is equally as holy and sacred and can be done as a stand alone religious ceremony or during the services at your local synagogue or temple. Unlike the baby naming for a boy that is done on the 8th day at the time of his brit milah / bris the baby naming for a girl can be at any age, giving the family the flexibility and time to plan.
All of the above have specific certificates, prayers, chants and singing that accompany the ceremony. As both a Cantor and a Mohel, I am able to hold your hands and guide you through every step of this process, add the beauty of tradition, prayers, melodies and song and also perform the very sacred and holy mitzvah of the brit milah - bris and baby naming.