Surprisingly, one of the congregants in my very Reform congregation has asked about a ceremony for his son's Upshernish, the traditional ceremony where a three year old boy's hair is cut for the first time, and he formally begins his Jewish education.  Below is what I have proposed for this family:


UPSHERNISH CEREMONY

“The child grew and was weaned and Abraham held a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.”- Genesis 21:8

ALL:        (Sing) Hine ma tov u’ma naim, shevet akhim gam yakhad-
             How good it is and how pleasant for all of us to be together
             for this simkha.

RABBI:    The Torah tells us that the fruit of a tree should not be consumed for the first three years of its life. This allows the
tree to grow strong.  In other Jewish literature person is compared to a tree.  Thus, it has become traditional to refrain from cutting a child’s hair during their first three years of his life.

MOTHER:    Cutting our child’s hair is symbolic of his entering a new phase of his life.  He is getting to be a big boy, and will begin learnin  Torah and practicing mitzvot on his own.  May we always be blessed with the ability to respond to your physical and spiritual needs, so that you may grow to fulfill the best that is within you.

FATHER:    As his Jewish education begins in earnest, we ask him now to look at this chart of the Hebrew alef-bet, and point to alef,
        the first letter, symbolizing the beginning of a lifetime oflearning.  May you, my son,  grow into manhood in the ways of Torah and               mitzvot, strong in body, mind and spirit.

PARENTS:    May we, in love, continue to give sustenance to this child and
        provide for him examples of goodness and lovingkindness
        through the way we live.

PARENTS AND CHILD: (Sing) Shema Yisrael Adonai Elohenu Adonai
        Ekhad- Hear O Israel, Adonai our God, Adonai is One

COMMUNITY: May the study of Torah always be sweet for him. May the
        words of this poem and blessing be fulfilled for this precious
        young member of our community:

        May your eyes sparkle with the light of truth,
and your ears hear the music of its words.
May the space between each letter of the scrolls
bring warmth and comfort to your soul.
May the syllables draw holiness from your heart,
and may this holiness be gentle and soothing
to you and all God’s creatures.
May your study be passionate,
and meanings bear more meanings
until Life itself arrays itself to you
as a dazzling wedding feast
And may your conversation,
even of the commonplace,
be a blessing to all who listen to your words
and see that Life is glowing on your face.
(Daniel Siegel)

ALL:        Beginning with the parents, each person will cut a piece of
        his hair, leaving the peyot, the corners.  He will be presented
        with a tallit katan to wear for the first time, a reminder of
        the mitzvot which will be part of his ongoing journey towards
        holiness in all his ways.

GUESTS:    Each person read one teaching:

God could not be everywhere, so mothers were created.

Each person’s brings his own blessing into the world.

There are three partners in the creation of humanity:  the father, the mother and the Kadosh Barukh Hu, the Blessed Holy One.

When a person honors his father and his mother, God says, “It is as though I had dwelt among them and they had honored me.

It is taught:  Each day an angel goes forth from the presence of the Blessed One, setting out to destroy the world- to return it to its primeval chaos.  However, when God sees young children studying Torah with their teachers, God’s anger is turned to mercy.

You shall teach the word of God diligently to your children.
The moral world is sustained by the instruction of our young people.  Their education should not be interrupted even to rebuild the Holy Temple.

He who studies in his youth may be compared to writing set down on new parchment.

If one studies Torah in his youth, its teachings are woven into the texture of his life.

From what age should a parent begin to teach his child?  From the moment he begins to speak.

Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

As long as the voices of children resound with the study of Torah, no enemy can triumph over Israel.

ALL:        (Sing) Torah (7x) tziva lanu Moshe- repeat 2x
        Morasha kehillat Yaakov- repeat 3x
        Torah tziva lanu Moshe

        (Moses commanded the Torah to us, the inheritance
        of the community of Yaakov)

RABBI:    (Priestly blessing)
        Yesimkha Elohim v’Efrayim v’k’Menashe
        May you be blessed as were Efrayim and Menashe
        Y’varekhekha Adonai v’yish’m’rekha
        May the Holy One bless you and keep you.
        Ya’er Adonai panav elekha v’y’khunekha
        May God’s face light up in yours, and may God be gracious
        to you.
        Yissa Adonai panav elekha, v’ya-sem l’kha shalom
        May Adonai’s face be turned towards yours, and may
        you be blessed with the precious gift of peace.

ALL:        (Sing together)
        Barukh Atah Adonai Elohenu Melekh ha-olam, she-he-khe-yanu
        v’kee-y’manu v’hee-gee-yanu la-zman ha-zeh.
        We give thanks to Adonai our God, whose Presence fills the
        universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for bringing
        us to this moment of holiness.