| (A chair is set aside in honor of the prophet Elijah, and the following is said by Daniel Sachs) |
| May all who come be blessed |
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| We have come together today to welcome our new daughter into our family and into the covenant of the Jewish people. Over three thousand years ago, we stood at Mount Sinai and entered into a covenant with God. |
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| In Jewish tradition, Elijah the prophet represents the coming of the Messianic age. Elijah is present at the covenant and he is known as the guardian of young children. The presence of Elijah at this covenant ceremony bids us to look through the life of one child to the fulfillment of all life. |
| This chair is devoted to Elijah the prophet, may his remembrance be for the good. |
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| (Daniel Sachs - holding Lillian Helena Finegold-Sachs is surrounded by Sidney Sachs, his father, David and Jeff Sachs, his brothers, Michael Finegold, his father-in-law, Barry Finegold, his brother-in-law and k'vatter, and Meyer Shapiro, his grand-father-in-law and sandek.) |
| (Joni Finegold is surrounded by Sondra Finegold, her mother, Arline Sachs, her mother-in-law, Phyllis Markuson, k'vatterine, and Marian Shapiro, her grandmother and Sandeket.) |
| Barry Finegold, k'vatter, to Daniel: Are you ready and willing to perform the precept which Adonai, praised be the One, has commanded us concerning the covenant? |
| Daniel: I am. Today, my daughter formally becomes a part of the Covenant of Israel. |
| (Meyer Shapiro, Sandek takes Lillian from Daniel's hands and delivers her to Joni.) |
| (Joni recites a special prayer for Rosh Chodesh) |
Joni:  May it be Your will, Adonai, my God and the God of my ancestors, that You grant me grace and compassion and joy and happiness and bring good luck to me in all my endeavors; and may I merit grace in your eyes. |
| Illuminate Lillian's eyes through the study of Torah and may she not forget what she learns. May you give clarity, beauty, felicity, and grace to her speech, and may everything that she requests come to pass and bring good results. |
| Dear God, may my feet walk to synagogue to praise you and may I walk in Your path. May my breasts nurse children who will be strong. I beg you, Adonai, may violent death not overtake them. May there be no tears in my eyes because of worry, and may there be no sound of wailing or mourning in my household. May we not have to be fed by others, and may we merit to see salvation and consolation. |
| Joni: I have hoped for salvation, Adonai, and your commandments have I fulfilled. Elijah, angel of the covenant, You are before me. You stand at my right and sustain me. I have hoped for Your salvation, Adonai. I rejoice at Your word, as if I found great treasure. Great peace have those who love your law and there is no stumbling for them. Happy is she whom You chose and bring near that she may dwell in Your Court. |
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| All: May we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holy place of Your temple. |
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| Daniel: When Israel stood at Sinai to receive the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be the One, said to them, "I am prepared to give you my Torah, my most prized possession. In return, you must present to me good guarantors that you will guard it. If you have a good guarantor, I shall give it to you" Israel said, "Our ancestors are our guarantors." The Holy One, blessed be the One said, "Your ancestors are not sufficient guarantors. Yet bring me good guarantors and I shall give you Torah." They said, "Our prophets are our guarantors." The Holy One said to them, "The prophets are not sufficient guarantors. Yet bring me a better guarantor and I shall give you Torah." They said, "Our children are our guarantors." And the Holy One, Blessed be the One said, "They certainly are good guarantors. For their sake I give Torah to you." (adapted from Shir Hashirim Rabbah) |
| Phyllis Markuson, k'vatterine to Joni: All the generations, even those unborn, were at Sinai and participated in the making of the covenant. Are you ready and willing to perform the precept which Adonai, praised be the One, has commanded us concerning the covenant? |
| Joni: Yes. Today, my daughter formally becomes a part of the Covenant of Israel. |
| (Holding Lillian high) |
| Joni: This is Lillian Helena, daughter of Joni, daughter of Sondra, daughter of Marian. Her Hebrew name shall be Tovah Chanah bat Da-ni-el v'Zelda. |
| Rabbi: Our God and God of our ancestors, preserve this child to her mother and to her father and let her name be called in Israel Tovah Chanah bat Da-ni-el v'Zelda. Let the father rejoice in his offspring, and let the mother be glad with her children. |
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| Joni: The power is yours, o God, to make parents rejoice in their children. |
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| Rabbi: As she has been entered into the covenant, so may she be introduced to the study of the Law, to the marriage canopy, and to good deeds. |
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| (Joni and Daniel say a few words about Lillian's namesake: She is named for Joni's Grandmother Tillie Finegold, Tovah, and Daniel's grandmother Helen Astheimer, Chanah.) |
| (Joni places Lillian into the hands of Marian Shapiro, Sandeket.) |
| Grandmothers: Our God and God of our ancestors, may the life of our granddaughter be one of happiness, of goodness and of wisdom. Help her parents to lead her in the footsteps of the great leaders of Israel, whose deeds shine across the ages and enlighten the lives of all people. We praise you, God, whose Torah links the generations one to the other. |
| Grandfathers: Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine. |
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| (They drink the wine and then they place a drop in Lillian's mouth) |
| Rabbi (or Chazzan): Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of the mystery of creation. |
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| Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of everything for Your glory. |
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| Praised are you Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, Creator of humanity. |
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| Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who created human beings in Your image and Your likeness, and out of their very selves You prepared for them a perpetual spiritual being. Praised are You, Adonai, Creator of humanity. |
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| Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has such as these Your creatures in Your world. |
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| Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, rememberer of the covenant and steadfastly faithful in Your covenant, keeping Your promise. |
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| Praised are you, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who has sustained us in life and being and brought us to this very moment. |
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| (Joni and Daniel jointly place their hands on Lillian's head and recites together) |
| May God make you as our mothers, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah. |
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| May God bless you and keep you. |
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| May God look kindly upon you and be gracious to you. |
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| May God bestow favor upon you and grant you peace. |
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| Together: Amen |
