Our sages teach that each person has three names – one they are given by their parents, one by their friends and community, and one they will earn for themselves.
Welcoming your child with a ritual naming ceremony, either a Brit Milah (bris) or a Simchat Bat, is an opportunity to affirm your child’s place among the Jewish people and to celebrate your family in the presence of a loving community.
Our rabbis would love to meet with expectant parents as you prepare to welcome your child. Please contact Zoe Raynes at zraynes@bethelnr.org or 914-235-2700, ext. 228 to set up an appointment, schedule a naming, or share a birth announcement.
If you would like to participate in a baby naming ceremony but are not a Beth El member, you are nevertheless warmly invited to celebrate with us at a Shabbat or other service. If celebration beyond the ceremony is desired, we invite you to explore Beth El’s space rental offerings.
Here is a list of mohelim we have worked with at Beth El.
One of the ways our community supports one another is by providing meals when someone can use an extra hand. Let us know if you would like us to set up a “Meal Train” and share it with the Beth El community so we can help keep you nourished while you adjust to this new chapter. Contact Rabbi Zachary Sitkin at zsitkin@bethelnr.org or 914-235-2700, ext. 338.
Whether you are experiencing fertility challenges, obstacles to adoption, or difficult medical decisions, our clergy are here to offer support and to listen. Please contact Zoe Raynes at zraynes@bethelnr.org or 914-235-2700, ext. 228 to set up an appointment with one of our rabbis.