Brit Shalom (Baby Naming)

Several times in its 50 plus years in Fairfield County, the Congregation has held a community ceremony during which the children or grandchildren of members are given a Hebrew name and welcomed into the Congregation.

As are all the congregation’s services, the ceremony is written by members from a humanistic perspective. Rather than the traditional Jewish ceremony for newborns recreating the covenant between God and Abraham embodied in the Torah, ours is a Brit Shalom or Covenant of Welcoming. The covenant is an exchange of promises among the people present: the child’s family and their friends, and the congregation.

A candle is lit for each child as he or she is introduced to the community. Blessings are bestowed. There is usually music. And always there is an oneg.

A Community Brit Shalom service is included in the Resources section.