IN THIS SERIES
While brit milah is performed for newborn boys, there is no corresponding formal birth ceremony for baby girls. Traditionally, newborn girls have been given their Jewish
names in a simple naming ceremony in the synagogue. To many people, the disparity between the elaborate birth rite for boys and the brief naming rite for girls seems unequal in this day and age, to say the least.
In response, many new birth ceremonies for infant girls have been introduced in recent years. Because it is not yet part of the liturgy, there are no standard, agreed upon elements for the ceremony. Indeed, even the name of the ceremony is undecided—simchat bat ("the rejoicing of the daughter"), brit habat ("covenant of the daughter") and brit kedusha ("the covenant of holiness") are all routinely used.
Simchat bat is often celebrated on the eighth day of life, as for a brit. However, many parents choose to wait several weeks to a month after birth before performing the ceremony.
The Naming Ceremony
Traditionally, baby girls are given their Hebrew names at a brief naming ceremony during the Torah service on the first Shabbat after the birth. (See our What's in a Name? and the Hebrew Baby Name Finder for more on choosing a Hebrew name.)
The father is called to Torah for an aliyah, and the rabbi recites the mi sheberakh, formally giving the newborn her name:
He Who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, may He bless the mother _________ and her newborn daughter, whose name in Israel shall be called ____________. May they raise her for the marriage canopy and for a life of good deeds, and let us say Amen.
In recent times the mother may be present, and even the infant may be brought to the synagogue to be blessed. But this is not necessary. It is also perfectly acceptable to have the naming ceremony at home, particularly when it's the only way for the mother and infant to participate.
Simchat Bat: A New Ritual
Although girls have no need to undergo circumcision, many parents choose to perform a formal birth ritual welcoming the newborn girl into the covenant between God and Israel. These new rituals are often beautiful, stirring ceremonies, and their introduction has been almost universally accepted.
Because there's no established ritual for baby girls, the elements of the ceremony are open to individual interpretation and the personal wishes of the parents. Many parents opt to mirror the brit milah, suitably altered for a girl. Others start from scratch and design a whole new ceremony around the mi sheberakh, the prayer used in the naming ceremony in the synagogue. It is popular to incorporate wine in the ceremony, as well as candles, and to make reference to historically significant Jewish women.
In recent years many moving simchat bat ceremonies have been written, and most rabbis have copies of sample ceremonies which parents can follow or use as a guide.
The following is an example ceremony, containing the most typically incorporated elements:
- The infant is carried into the room where the ceremony will be held, usually by a grandmother or other close relative who has been honored with the role. Those present greet the child with the words, "Barucha habah, blessed is she who enters."
- The baby is then handed to the other grandmother or another close relative, who has the honor of holding her during the ceremony.
- The Birkat Hagomel and Shehecheyanu blessings are recited, usually by the mother and father.
- A special prayer is recited, giving the child her Jewish name. Often the mi sheberakh, the naming prayer said in the synagogue, is used. Others use an altered version of the naming prayer from the brit ceremony.
- After the naming prayer, those present respond: "Just as she has been entered into the Covenant, let her enter a life of Torah, the marriage canopy and good deeds."
- Often this is followed by readings, speeches, songs or poems from guests or parents.
- The rabbi blesses the infant.
- The blessing over the wine is recited, followed by a festive meal.
The birth of a baby daughter is a momentous event, and simchat bat is a lovely, meaningful way to mark the occasion.
Conclusion
As traditions develop for simchat bat and it becomes evermore customary, we can expect to see an established, formalized ceremony begin to evolve. In the meantime, the "invention" of the ritual says much about Judaism as a religion. The recent emergence of simchat bat is another sign that Judaism is alive and well and, as with all living things, responsive to changing ideals and needs.