Birth and Circumcision in Judaism
Life is probably more highly valued in Judaism than anything else, so when a new life is born, it is cause for utter joy and celebration. There are many special customs surrounding birth in Judaism, and the customs vary for girls and boys. For example, unlike with non-Jews, a Jewish baby is not named immediately after it’s born.
Baby boys receive their name when they’re 8 days old, at their Bris/Brit (meaning Covenant but referring to a ceremonial circumcision). Baby girls’ timelines for receiving a name are more fluid and up to the parents, although it’s typical to announce their name at a public reading of the Torah in synagogue, whether on the first Shabbat after the baby is born or on a week day when the Torah is read.
The whole no-name-right-away thing REALLY confused my poor non-Jewish friends. It’s just so different from how it’s done outside of the Jewish world. For the first six days of my beautiful daughter’s life, I referred to her as “Snuggles.” Giving her her name at the Torah was one of the proudest moments of my life. For both boys and girls, it’s common to be named after someone. If you are Ashkenazi (from Eastern-Europe descent), you name after the deceased, and if you’re Sephardi (from Spanish or Middle Eastern descent), you can name after someone living. In addition to naming for people, you usually name some name with meaning in Hebrew or Yiddish.
To celebrate the birth of a baby boy, you attend their Bris on the 8th day of their life (unless there are medical issues, in which case the bris is delayed). This is a big celebration, usually held first thing in the morning, and a boy is circumcised, being welcomed into the Covenant with G-d just as Abraham was. This is their formal welcome into the Jewish people, and they receive their name. It’s a very exciting and emotional event and customary to bring gifts.
To celebrate the birth of a baby girl, some people hold a Simhat Bat or Baby Namin
g. This depends on the community, but we held a Simhat Bat for our little angel when she was 12 days old. It’s similar to a Bris but without the “big event.” It’s almost like a baby shower post-baby. It’s a party, maybe a brunch or something, where everyone celebrates, and people bring gifts. It’s also common for the parents to speak and give an explanation of the name that they chose. This is a picture of the Simhat Bat we threw for our daughter.
**Side note: Having a baby shower before a baby is born is really not done in Judaism. There’s a Jewish idea that you shouldn’t really do a lot of preparation for a baby until the baby comes, in case G-d forbid, you don’t carry to full-term and have a healthy baby. Different couples honor this in different ways, but it’s typical not to have any baby items in your home, not to get gifts before the baby is born, not to set up your nursery ahead of time (a husband sometimes goes home to build the crib while the woman is recovering in the hospital), or to keep all of your baby items in the box until the baby is born.
