People & honors guide

Organize honors with care—not assumptions

A planning tool can track names and notes, but it should never decide a religious role. Use a flexible honors list, then confirm every synagogue-specific decision with clergy.

Start with neutral placeholders

Create items such as “Torah honor,” “family reading,” “candle or recognition moment,” or “custom honor.” Rename them using the terminology your synagogue and family use.

Track the practical details

For each honor, record the person or household, pronunciation notes, whether they have confirmed, accessibility needs, and who will brief them.

Avoid duplicate promises

Keep one final list and name one family coordinator. Before printing a program or sending instructions, reconcile that list with the synagogue’s official plan.

Keep meaning ahead of quantity

Not every guest needs a formal role. A smaller, clearly explained set of honors can feel warmer than a long sequence built only to include names.