Naming Your Baby at Chochmat HaLev
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Baby Blessing / Naming Rituals
Baby blessings at Chochmat HaLev are unique, joyous occasions at which your family and your new baby are celebrated and blessed by your community. These ceremonies can take place at regularly scheduled Shabbat services before the wider community or in more intimate, private settings. The following is our policy about these two types of baby blessing
Rituals During Regularly Scheduled Services Blessing your baby during regularly scheduled Chochmat HaLev services is an honor reserved for members only. If you are not yet a member and wish to have the community bless your baby and family at a regularly scheduled service, please visit our membership page or contact the office about membership. Sharing a Meal It is traditional for the family to sponsor an oneg (Friday night) or luncheon (Saturday morning) immediately following the services for your friends and family and for the community. The social hall does not need to (and cannot) be rented during these times. You may bring your own food, or make arrangements for Chochmat HaLev to do so. Please contact the office regarding our food policies and how many members of the congregation to expect in addition to your invited guests. Gratitude and Generosity It is traditional at Chochmat HaLev, and in the greater Jewish community, to make a financial donation in honor of a simcha (joyous occasion) such as a baby blessing. This is a way for you to share your blessing and gratitude with the community and to offer appreciation for the spiritual leader’s time. At our synagogue, a typical donation for a baby naming held during regularly scheduled services is between $180 and $360. Private Rituals Our spiritual leadership may be available to conduct private baby namings/welcomings for both members and non-members, outside of regularly scheduled Shabbat services. Such ceremonies are not included in Chochmat’s membership dues, and Chochmat HaLev’s spiritual leaders may not be available for private baby namings. Private ceremonies can take place either at Chochmat HaLev or in individual homes. Chochmat HaLev’s sanctuary and social hall can be rented for private baby naming rituals by members or non-members. Please contact the office about rental charges and availability. Members who arrange for a private ceremony conducted by our spiritual leaders may pay for those services via a donation to Chochmat HaLev. The cost of a private baby naming/welcoming for members is sliding scale, ranging from $250 to $500. Ten percent of this amount will be kept by Chochmat HaLev, and the remainder will be paid directly to the service leader. Non-Members who arrange for a private ceremony by Chochmat HaLev’s spiritual leaders pay the service leaders directly. The cost of a private baby naming/ welcoming ritual for non-members is sliding scale, ranging from $300 to $600. It is also customary, in addition to paying the service leader, to make an additional donation of $60 to120 to Chochmat HaLev in gratitude for your joyous occasion and to our community for helping you find the leader for your family’s ritual. If you would experience financial hardship because of these fees, please contact the office.
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