I F E C YC L E
A series of rituals guide Jewish families and individuals through each stage of life. Except for the rituals surrounding death, each of the following stages is often accompanied by festive celebrations. Even the rituals surrounding death bring the community together to remember and honor the deceased and support their family. The following guide is adapted from stories in our archives.
Upsherin For many boys, their first haircut is at three years of age. This ceremony is called an upsherin – a Yiddish word meaning to “cut off.” The third birthday is a significant stage in the life of a Jewish boy. It is then that he officially begins his Torah education, and starts to wear a kippah and tzitzit. 36
RESOURCE GUIDE 2022 | ARIZONA JEWISH LIFE
Birth/Infancy The first significant ritual for a Jewish child is the naming. Jewish children are given Hebrew names in addition to their English names. A boy receives his Hebrew name at the brit milah (bris), the circumcision of the male child, performed on the eighth day after birth. The circumcision is performed by a highly trained person called a mohel or, if a mohel is unavailable, by a Jewish doctor under the supervision of a rabbi. The baby girl is named at a simchat bat, with no strict traditions that allow parents to create their own ceremony for welcoming their daughter into the Jewish community.
