CONTENTS Foreword by Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso . xi Acknowledgments . xiv Introduction. xvii Part One An Introduction to Contemporary Jewish Welcoming Ceremonies 1 N The History of This New Tradition . 3 2 N Traditional Ways of Welcoming Jewish Daughters, from Cultures around the World . 11 3 N Understanding Covenant and Dedication . 16 Part Two Welcoming Everyone 4 N Involving Non-Jewish Loved Ones in Your Welcoming Ceremony . 25 5 N Especially for Adopted Daughters . 29 6 N Especially for Gay and Lesbian Parents . 36 viii Contents Part Three Preparing for Your Daughter’s Welcoming Ceremony 7 N Planning the Event: An Orientation, What to Call Your Daughter’s Ceremony, When to Have It, Where to Have It, Setting It Up, How Long It Should Be, How to Handle the Unexpected, the Program Guide . 41 8 N Sanctifying Your Surroundings . 58 Part Four Creating Your Daughter’s Welcoming Ceremony 9 N How to Use This Guide, and the Order of a Contemporary Welcoming Ceremony . 69 . Welcoming with Songs and Blessings . 74 . Welcoming the Baby . 77 . Prayers of Thanksgiving . 78 . Readings and Blessings for the Parents . 83 . Rituals to Welcome Your Daughter into the Covenant . 105 1. Brit Nerot: Creating Light—four candle ceremonies . 115 2. Brit Mikvah: Immersion in the Waters of Life— two mikvah ceremonies . 123 3. Brit Rechitzah: Welcoming into the Covenant with Hand- or Footwashing . 131 4. Brit Tallit: Enfolding Her in the Covenant . 133 5. Brit Kehillah: Entering the Covenant by Walking through the Community . 137 6. Brit Havdalah: Transitioning into the Covenant through Havdalah—two havdalah ceremonies . 138 7. Brit Melach: Recalling the Covenant with Salt . 145 . Naming Your Daughter . 149 . Giving Her Gifts and Good Wishes . 162 . Psalms and Acrostics . 165 Contents ix . Prayers, Poems, and Other Readings for Relatives and Honored Guests . 172 . Blessings of Gratitude . 183 . Concluding in Song and Prayer . 192 . Blessings over the Wine and Bread . 198 10 N Complete Sample Ceremonies . 201 . Traditional Sephardic Zeved Habat. 202 . A Contemporary Orthodox Ceremony . 204 . A Traditionally Oriented Contemporary Ceremony . 207 . A Modern Mikvah Ceremony. 211 . A Humanism-Based Ceremony . 218 Notes. 225 Resources. 228 Glossary . 231 About Jewish Lights . 234 A NOTE ON THE TRANSLITERATIONS Just as Jewish welcoming ceremonies vary, so do transliteration sys- tems. The prayers, blessings, and rituals in this book come from many different sources, and thus some of their transliterations vary in spelling..