When is a brit milah performed?

Traditionally on the eighth day of a baby boy's life, performed by a mohel. If there is a medical reason for delay, such as a health concern, the bris is postponed until the baby is cleared by a doctor.

What is a simchat bat?

Simchat bat is one of several names (along with brit bat and zeved habat) for a ceremony welcoming and naming a baby girl. Unlike a brit milah, there is no single fixed ritual, and the format varies across Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox communities.

Is a baby-naming ceremony required for girls the way a bris is for boys?

There is no single universal requirement the way there is for brit milah, but naming a daughter through some form of ceremony or blessing, often involving a synagogue Torah service, is common practice across all the movements.

Can adopted children or children of same-sex parents have these ceremonies?

Yes. Rabbis across the movements have developed ceremonies adapted for adoption, surrogacy, and every family configuration. Speak with a rabbi or mohel experienced in these situations to plan a ceremony that fits your family.

Welcoming a Baby: Brit Milah, Simchat Bat & Naming

Quick answer: Jewish babies are traditionally welcomed with a naming and, for boys, a brit milah (ritual circumcision) on the eighth day of life. Girls are welcomed through a naming ceremony that goes by several names — simchat bat, brit bat, or zeved habat — with the format varying widely across Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox communities. All of it can be adapted for adoption, medical circumstances, and every family configuration — your rabbi, mohel, or doula can help you plan the version that fits your family.

Brit milah: welcoming a baby boy

Brit milah, often called a “bris,” is the ritual circumcision performed on the eighth day of a baby boy’s life, traditionally by a mohel (a trained ritual circumcisor), and it’s one of the oldest continuously observed Jewish practices across every movement. The baby is given his Hebrew name during the ceremony, usually honoring a beloved relative, and the day is marked with blessings and a festive meal. If there’s a medical reason to delay — jaundice or another health concern, for example — the bris is postponed until a doctor and mohel agree it’s safe, and the naming can happen separately in the meantime.

Across Reform, Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Orthodox families, the ritual itself looks fairly similar, since it’s one of the most universally observed Jewish customs. Where communities differ more is in who performs it (some families use a mohel who is also a physician, others use a mohel working alongside the family’s own pediatrician) and how the surrounding celebration is styled.

Welcoming a baby girl: simchat bat, brit bat, zeved habat

Because Jewish law’s covenantal sign is specific to boys, communities across the spectrum have developed their own ceremonies to mark a daughter’s arrival with equal joy — though, unlike brit milah, there’s no single universal ritual or name for it. You may hear any of these terms:

Simchat bat (“joy of a daughter”) — a common term in Reform, Reconstructionist, and many Conservative communities.
Brit bat (“covenant of a daughter”) — used especially where families want to echo the covenantal language of a bris.
Zeved habat (“gift of a daughter”) — a term with roots in Sephardic tradition.

These ceremonies became far more widespread over the last several decades, especially in Reform, Reconstructionist, and Conservative communities, and have also been adopted in many Modern Orthodox communities, often as a home or synagogue gathering with candle lighting, blessings, and the formal announcement of the baby’s Hebrew name — sometimes during a Torah service, when the father (or both parents) receive an aliyah and the baby is named as part of the blessing. Because there’s no single fixed liturgy the way there is for a bris, families have real latitude to shape a ceremony that feels right to them, and it’s worth asking your rabbi what’s customary in your own community.

Naming customs

Across all four movements, a baby’s Hebrew name typically honors a relative — among Ashkenazi families, usually someone who has passed away, and among Sephardic families, often a living relative, such as a grandparent. The Hebrew name is used in future lifecycle events, from being called to the Torah to being remembered after death, so choosing it thoughtfully matters regardless of which movement a family belongs to.

Adoption and every kind of family

Rabbis across the movements have developed ceremonies and adaptations for adopted children, children born via surrogacy, and children of same-sex couples, blended families, or single parents. If a formal brit milah or naming doesn’t fit your family’s exact circumstances, a rabbi or mohel experienced in these situations can help design a ceremony that still carries the same warmth and meaning.

Other customs some families observe

Some Orthodox and traditional families also observe pidyon haben, the redemption of a firstborn son under specific circumstances defined in Jewish law, typically about a month after birth. This custom does not apply to every family (it depends on birth order and parents’ lineage) and is less commonly practiced outside traditional and some Conservative circles — it’s a good example of the kind of detail worth asking your own rabbi about rather than assuming applies to you.

Getting ready for the celebration

Between the bris or naming and the meal that follows, there’s a lot to coordinate — and community makes it easier. Many families discover their mohel, doula, or caterer through local job and service listings, and those same professionals can add a listing to reach new parents. Grandparents and out-of-town family flying in for the bris often need a place to stay, which is where short-term rentals come in handy, and Jewish events listings can help you find a venue if you’re not hosting at home.

New parents adjusting to a growing family often lean on their community’s chessed network for meal trains and practical support in those first weeks, and it’s a wonderful time to get more connected through community explorer if you haven’t already found your synagogue home. Some growing families also start thinking ahead to more space, browsing real estate listings for a home that fits the family they’re becoming.

By the HeimishMart Community Desk — HeimishMart is the community marketplace for Jewish homes, jobs, and local life across North America.