baby naming

Use this checklist to help get ready, but don’t stress about trying to have all of it!

• Copies of your ceremony so everyone can follow along
• Chairs
• Music
• Candles, candlesticks, and matches for the Candle Blessing
• Challah, challah cover (use a napkin if you don’t have one) and a knife to say HaMotzi
• Kiddush cup (or any cup that you love), wine and/or grape juice
• Kippot for anyone who wishes to wear one
• Photographs of the person or people after whom you are naming your baby
• Flowers or decorations
• Elijah’s chair: Set aside a chair for the prophet Elijah (Yup, the same one we welcome on Passover. He’s also known to be a special protector of children). This chair can be decorated by simply draping a tallit over it, or it can be decorated with flowers, ribbons, and ornamental pillows (a fun job for an older sibling)
• A small blank journal on hand for guests to write notes and good wishes to the baby. Makes a wonderful keepsake!
• Food (bagels and lox are a staple) for after the ceremony

There’s No Official Way To Have A Baby Naming So Do Whatever Makes You Happiest.

Baby namings typically take place in the morning and last for about an hour or so. You can have the ceremony anywhere… home, the community room of your apartment building, etc. All you really need is a quiet room big enough for your guests.

If you belong to a synagogue, you can probably have the ceremony in a room there. Many synagogues also have baby namings during Friday night Shabbat services, which can be a beautiful time to welcome your baby into her Jewish community, although, the naming part will probably be more of a side note than the main event. Our advice? Use JewBelong’s free naming booklet for a beautiful and easy celebration. Just print enough copies for everyone so they can follow along and 2) Write the notes that you will use when it’s time to announce baby’s Hebrew name in advance then remember to bring them on the day!

According to tradition, Jewish parents aren’t supposed to have baby showers or decorate the nursery before the baby is born because of a superstition that getting clothes and toys for the baby before it’s born can bring bad luck. Not to mention that if the baby dies before coming home, the heartbreak of having to see all the baby’s things or go into a fully decorated baby’s room probably makes things worse. That being said, infants dying during childbirth is a lot less common than it used to be, so some Jewish people have showers. TBH, we prefer a baby naming over a shower any day. Not only do they tend to be more meaningful (seriously, we have been to some kooky showers) but everyone gets to meet the baby, which is like getting fifty birds killed with one stone because instead of having a constant stream of people visiting to see the baby, wham bam, you get it all done in one day.

You probably love your daughter’s English name, or you wouldn’t have chosen it. Picking a Hebrew name is another chance to choose a name you adore—but with one caveat… If you were wondering why you’ve never met a Rachel Schwartz Junior or Jessica Mandelbaum III, it’s because most Jews don’t name their children after someone who is living.

(Side note: This is primarily an Ashkenazi custom. Sephardic Jews, on the other hand, often name children after living relatives. But we digress…) The tradition stems from superstitions and a desire to respect the living. but honestly, it’s also probably less confusing than having three Rachels in the same family.

On the other hand, it’s considered a great honor to name a baby after a deceased loved one, allowing the name and memory to live on. A baby naming ceremony is a beautiful opportunity to remember the person your child is named after. Share stories, say a few words about why the name was chosen, and maybe include photos if you have them.

Some families choose two names—one from each side of the family. Others use the Hebrew version of the baby’s first or middle name, like Sarah (princess) for Sadie, or Ora (light) for Olivia. With so many gorgeous biblical and Israeli names available, you’re bound to find one you love.

Finally, announcing the Hebrew name is the highlight of the ceremony. Make sure to prepare a few meaningful words to share with your guests—it’s a moment you’ll cherish forever!

We believe that the miracle of her birth is of great importance to the community of the Jewish people, for Judaism’s future rests on the firm foundation of both its men and women. Before today, our daughter was not a fully recognized member of the community. In naming her today, she receives her membership into the Covenant. May the one who blessed our mothers, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel, and our fathers, Abraham, Issac and Jacob, bless these parents and their newborn daughter.  Her name shall be (insert baby’s name) bat (mother’s Hebrew or English name) v’ (father’s Hebrew or English name). May her parents rear their daughter with love. Amen.
-Author Unknown