The full range of Jewish Lifecycles are observed and celebrated at Temple Sinai. Please click on the links below for more information (adapted from www.myjewishlearning.com)
The baby naming ceremony celebrates the birth of the child, welcomes the child into the Jewish Covenant and gives the child a Hebrew name.
For boys, the ceremony traditionally includes the practice of circumcision (Brit Milah or Bris, the covenant of circumcision). This takes place on the eighth day of life. While we encourage Brit Milah, we also welcome conversations about other options.
For girls, the ceremony is frequently referred to as a baby naming (Simchat Bat, the celebration of a daughter, or Brit Bat, the daughters' covenant).
These rituals are a deep and abiding symbol of covenant and continuity for the Jewish people.
Coming of age for a Jew, which happens at age 13, is termed Bar and Bat Mitzvah (Son and Daughter of the Commandments).
For more information about Bar and Bat Mitzvah ceremonies, please click here.
Becoming a Jew is an evolutionary process culminating in the recognition of a new identity.
For more information about conversion, please click here.
Marriage is a sacred lifecycle event within the Jewish tradition. The clergy of Temple Sinai are here to support you and your partner during this joyous occasion.
Divorce is not just as a legal matter, but as a spiritual one as well. A religious Get (divorce) is sometimes needed psychologically to help the separating couple begin new lives after the divorce. A divorce is transformative just as a marriage is, and therefore, akin to all lifecycle events, rabbis should be part of it.
Death and Mourning
Judaism pays much attention to treating the dead with respect (k’vod ha’met) and to comforting mourners (nichum aveilim). For information on Funeral and Mourning Customs, please click here.
To be in touch with one of our clergy for any of these lifecycle events, please click here.