Sally & Jason’s Baby Naming Ceremony in White Plains

We gathered at Sam’s of Gedney Way in White Plains for a baby naming ceremony that felt both simple and deeply meaningful. Family and friends came together to welcome two new children, Sally and Jason, into the covenant of the Jewish people.

Their parents, Kenny and Sasha, chose Hebrew names that honored Sasha’s father, Jerry, who passed away a few years earlier. Remembering Grandpa Jerry was central to the ceremony. A tallit that had belonged to Jerry since his own bar mitzvah was brought forward to wrap the kids in during the Birkat Kohanim. This was Jerry’s tallit, carried through time, now connecting him to his grandchildren in a way words couldn’t.

When it came time for the grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins to speak, they all stood together, surrounding everyone with words of hope and continuity for Sally and Jason. They spoke of the values they hoped these two new members of the family would carry forward, as well as the importance of remembering those who came before them.

This ceremony honored memory without sadness, acknowledging the passing of time and the loss of loved ones, while celebrating new life with joy that felt grounded and true, symbolizing the continuity of tradition, the power of familial bonds, and the promise of future generations. It was also a reminder that rituals like this are not just for the moment—they’re part of a longer story that ties families to each other and to generations past.

That morning a family paused to honor memory, to celebrate, and to take their place in a tradition that has continued for generations. It was a moment that welcomed two new lives into the Jewish people and the covenant that connects us all!