Lifecycle Events

Birth of a Child
Jews celebrate the birth of all our children. For the boys, a brit milah (covenant of circumcision) is usually performed by a mohel at the family's home. For girls, a naming ceremony is held in either the home or in the synagogue. Planning begins with a discussion with our Ritual Chair or Rabbi, who will provide information regarding these ceremonies. Send an email to ritual@shaare-shalom.org

Pidyon Haben
Traditional Jews follow the ancient practice of providing the first-born male son for service to the Temple. The family pays a symbolic ransom to redeem the boy. Families desiring to participate in this ceremony for their first-born male children may contact our congregation's Ritual Chair. Send an email to ritual@shaare-shalom.org

B'nai Mitzvah
At Congregation Sha'are Shalom, we are proud of our b'nai mitzvah program. Our seventh-grade students focus on preparation for b'nai mitzvah. Students work individually with their b'nai mitzvah tutor weekly and engage in our 13 mitzvot project.

Families have the opportunity to help plan and participate in the service. Teens who become b'nai mitzvah can decide to continue their education through Confirmation which occurs during the sophomore year in high school. Contact edu_dir@shaare-shalom.org  for more information.

Confirmation
Confirmants have the opportunity to study directly with our Rabbi as well as our Education Director and participate in a Confirmation Service towards the end of the school year. Contact edu_dir@shaare-shalom.org  for more information.

Marriage
The first step in planning the marriage ceremony is a meeting with our Rabbi and the Ritual Chair, who provide the couple with information about options for planning the ceremony.

Congregation Sha’are Shalom invites same-sex couples to celebrate their love for each other with a Jewish wedding ceremony in our sanctuary.

Death
At Congregation Sha'are Shalom, our community supports our congregants during the period of mourning. When death is imminent, please contact the Rabbi or congregation president. The Chesed Committee offers support and comfort. Send an email to rabbineiltow@shaare-shalom.org or president@shaare-shalom.org.