Jewish life is enriched by the rituals attached to the milestones – birth, bar- and bat mitzvah, wedding, anniversary, end-of-life – that punctuate our lives The sanctity of Jewish ritual binds us to generations of Jews who have come before us and to the continuity of our people. We create significant memories by sharing these times with family and friends.
The Jewish community of The Hague 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. The Shul or Chaj Center may be available for your life cycle event.
Want to learn more about Jewish Life Cycles?
BRIT 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 Brit Milah.
A Brit 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.
BAR/BAT MITZVAH: Our young teens prepare for this milestone through a combination of religious school and Hebrew classes, plus tutoring and consultation with the rabbi. We will meet with you to craft a ceremony that meets your needs. Contact us for more information.
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. We can perform the ceremony, walking your guests through the rich meanings behind the rituals. Contact us for more information.
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). The Jewish community is home to two cemeteries, please reach out to find out more.
YARTZEIT & KADDISH: We never forget our departed loved ones. Moreover, Jewish tradition teaches that we can posthumously bring great honor to honor 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. It may be possible arrange for a minyan (service) for those who are observing a yartzeit and want to recite kaddish. Please contact us for more information.