Baby Namings

I was inspired the moment I met Reb Irwin Keller.  I knew he was the right man to give my first born son his Jewish name....  Irwin came to our home and led the ceremony with such grace, profound wisdom and beautiful music; it was perfect.  Afterward he spent time and laughter with my family and felt like one of us from the moment he arrived until the moment he left.  -- Ali Weiss

Oh, this is the best work! It is always an honor to be part of welcoming a new soul into the world and into the story of the Jewish people. Your baby's ceremony will be sweet, participatory and memorable.

I have a strong belief that the magic we make to start off a Jewish life works equally well for babies of all genders. So I use the same toolbox of ritual for boys as for girls.

While that toolbox does not include circumcision, it does contain ritual, blessing and imagery that is beautiful, pain-free and deeply Jewish. Some of my favorite rituals to offer include Brit Rechitzah, in which parents wash their baby's feet in a reference to Abraham's great welcoming gesture in Torah, and Las Fadas, a Sephardic ritual in which every loved one present has an opportunity to whisper a personal blessing in the baby's ear.

I can help you choose a Hebrew name for your child, by which they will be known in klal Yisrael, the global Jewish community. A Hebrew name can honor ancestors, or nature, or a particular quality you wish you for your child.