Judaism Life Cycle Outline

 Brit Milah

 Welcoming ceremony into Judaism for a boy

 Includes circumcision

 Covenant of Circumcision

 Occurs 8 days after birth - VERY important, nothing interrupts

 Ritual objects used:

 Circumcision tools (anesthetic is possible according to some), tallit (prayer shawl), booklet with ceremony text, Elijah's Chair

 Time of ceremony - early in the morning

 Ritual setting - morning prayer service

 Parts of ceremony - welcomed, circumcision, naming, festive meal.

 Participants - moyel (person who does the circumcision "surgery"), parents, grandparents, Godparents, sandek (person given a role of honor) , rabbi

 Biblical roots are in Genesis in the story of Abraham

 Brit haBat or Brit Bat

 Covenant of the daughter

 Other names: Brit Hayyim (Covenant of Life)

 Relatively new ceremony, commonly done for the past 30 - 40 years.

 Welcoming ceremony into Judaism for a girl

 When: Anytime after 8 days old

 Ritual setting - often morning prayer service

 Ritual objects used:

 Tallit, booklet with ceremony text, Elijah's Chair

 Parts of ceremony - welcome, naming, parent letter, festive meal

 Participants - moyel (person who does the circumcision "surgery"), parents, grandparents, Godparents, sandek (person given a role of honor) , rabbi

 Judaism and Names

 Ashkenazic Jews (from Norther or EasterEurope) - name Hebrew names after deceased family member

 Saphardic Jews (from Spain, North Africa, Middle East) - name Hebrew names after living family member

 Judaism - Life Cycle Education

 Honey on the Page

 Ancient Custom

 Learning should be a sweet thing

 Consecration

 Ceremony at the beginning of a child's formal religious education.

 Often done on the holiday of Simchat Torah, a holiday after Sukkot

 Bar Mitzvah

 Means son of the commandments

 A child becomes a bar/bat mitzvah

 Ceremony identical or similar to a bat mitzvah except for many Orthodox Jews

 When - age of 13, usually the closest Sabbath to the child's birthday

 Ritual objects;

 Torah (child reads from it), prayer book, Haftorah (reading from Prophets), tallit, kippah, part of a larger service

 Setting - Sabbath Prayer service, usually in a Synagogue or Temple (Jewish communal holy place)

 Reception, party, celebration

 Judaism - Life Cycle Conformation

 Confirmation

 Ceremony at age 16 or 17 that gives a young adult a way to publicly affirm (or reaffirm) their commitment to Judaism

 "Modern" ceremony, at most 185 years old

 Marriage

 Names of parts of ceremony:

 Kiddushin (Hebrew word for marriage), another term which is part of the ceremony is nissuin (betrothal). Could be a year in between the two. The parts used to be separate, but are now both included in the wedding ceremony.

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 Wedding Ceremony

 Parts:

* Signing of Ketubah, or wedding contract

* Witnesses sign as well (way of being honored)

* Nissuin & Kiddushin

 Ritual objects;

* Huppah (canopy) - open on all 4 sides to show hospitality

* Models that the home is to be a Mikdash m'at (small sanctuary)

* Glass broken - to remind that the world is a broken place

* Rings

 Participants;

* Bride, groom, parents, witnesses who sign the ketubah

 Parents often stand under the huppah with the bridal party

 Does not have to be performed by a rabbi, only a knowledged Jew

 Reconstructionist Jews acknowledge same sex marriage

 Death

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