Gomel: A Jewish Blessing for New Moms

Having kids is sometimes hard. Giving birth to a baby is REALLY hard. Judaism has a ritual to mark getting through the experience. This next video from G-dcast teaches us how to say the Gomel, a Jewish blessing that is recited upon emerging safely from danger. This blessing is appropriate for new mothers to say to mark the end of their great accomplishment.

The following videos are interviews with real couples about some alternative rituals they performed after their babies were born.

When a baby boy or girl is born, they can be welcomed into the Jewish community through a ceremony. For boys the ceremony is known as a brit milah, or bris and for girls the ceremony is known as a brit bat. In addition to saying many blessings for the child, parents give a toast explaining the values with which they intend to raise their child and announce the name of their child. In this short video, you can learn how Hudi and his wife decided to think creatively about this ceremony. Instead of a speech they chose to sing a song. 

When Diane’s son was born, they weren’t able to host a Jewish bris or baby naming. They still wanted to celebrate the arrival of their son, so when their baby boy turned 1 they hosted an intimate baby naming ceremony at home. Guided by a rabbi, they invited their family and friends into their living room to celebrate and announce Aidan’s Hebrew name. Judaism has a lot to say about names and choosing the right one: Learn about Diane’s choices in regards to Jewish tradition and how she personalized her son’s baby naming.