The Chabad community is here to share your greatest joys and to provide comfort in life’s most difficult times. Being a community means sharing life’s greatest milestones together. Our facility is available for all your life cycle events.
Bris Milah & Baby Naming
We celebrate the great blessing of a newborn with a ceremony that brings them into the covenant, and confers upon them a Hebrew name. A girl is named at a Torah reading (on Shabbat, Monday, Thursday, holidays or Rosh Chodesh), and a boy is named at his Bris Milah.
A Bris Milah (also known as a bris) is the ceremony that welcomes a baby boy into the Jewish community through the ritual of circumcision on the eighth day of his new life.
We can help you get you in contact with a Mohel (ritual circumciser), help the parents understand the ceremony, and co-officiate, along with the Mohel. The ceremony can be held in the home or at the synagogue.
In these powerful ceremonies, the parents confirm their family’s participation in the eternal commitment between G‑d and the Jewish people and their affirmation of Jewish life for another generation. We can work with you to think through and design your ceremony in a way that merges Jewish tradition with your family’s needs.
Your Jewish Birthday
Your never too old to celebrate the milestone of reaching another year of life. Let us help you make your Jewish birthday a special day for family and friends. It is a time to have a Farbrengen, say L'chaim and make good resolutions for the coming year. For more on how to celebrate your Jewish birthday click here.
Bar/Bas Mitzvah
At Chabad we see a Bar/Bas Mitzvah as an opportunity for a child to explore and discover what being Jewish really means. Hands on and multimedia lessons are personalized for each girl and boy to bring the learning to life. Lessons are given by Rabbi Mendy or by Chanie. The ceremony can be held at Chabad or at a venue of your choice. We will meet with you to craft a ceremony that meets your needs.
Marriage
In preparation for the joyous occasion, the bride and groom will meet with the rabbi to learn about the Jewish perspective of weddings and marriage – from Ketubah (marriage document), to Kiddushin (engagement) to Chuppah (marriage canopy) to Nissuin (marriage ceremony) to breaking the glass. Rabbi Mendy can perform the ceremony, walking your guests through the rich meanings behind the rituals.
End-of-Life
Our tradition offers several powerful end-of-life rituals – Kriah (tearing of a garment), Levayah (funeral procession), Hesped (eulogy), Kevurah (burial) and Shivah (seven days of mourning). Rabbi Mendy can perform the funeral ceremony, Shiva services, an unveiling (brief graveside ceremony) and help you understand and implement other meaningful Jewish mourning practices.
Yartzeit & Kaddish
We never forget our departed loved ones. Moreover, Jewish tradition teaches that we can posthumously bring great honor to those souls. The Kaddish prayer is recited for the first year after a loved one's passing, and on their yartzheit (anniversary of their passing), and the Yizkor
Memorial prayer is recited four times throughout the year. Please click here for more information.
We can arrange for a minyan (service) for those who are observing a yartzeit and want to recite kaddish. Please email Rabbi Mendy at rabbimendy@jewishneedham.com.