Category: Covenant & Naming Rituals

Creating a Seaside Baby Naming Ceremony

Creating a Seaside Baby Naming Ceremony

By Hannah Pressman
August 28, 2019
My daughter was connected to the web of her extended family as well as the vast ocean
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Design Your Own Ritual with a Little Help from a Rabbi

Design Your Own Ritual with a Little Help from a Rabbi

By Rabbi Kami Knapp
August 2, 2017
Ritual helps us pay attention. From the joy of a recovery to the grief of a funeral, ritual helps us inhabit the breadth of human experience.
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From Brit Bat to Bat Mitzvah: How Love & Tradition Work Together

From Brit Bat to Bat Mitzvah: How Love & Tradition Work Together

By Dr. Keren R. McGinity
November 21, 2015
How does an interfaith couple raising Jewish children create meaningful rituals that honor both partners’ heritage? This is a question that I asked myself when I became a parent and when I founded the Love & Tradition Institute.
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Fostering Across Generations: A Letter to our Foster Daughter

Fostering Across Generations: A Letter to our Foster Daughter

By Tamar Fox
May 26, 2015
As part of a ritual we created to say farewell to our foster daughter, Dafna, below is the story of my family's history of fostering across the generations, from escaping the Nazis to offering shelter to teenagers fleeing Vietnam. We read this during the goodbye ceremony. Photo by Nomad Nirvana Photography
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Jewish Lifecycles Animated

Jewish Lifecycles Animated

By G-dcast
November 6, 2014
Ritualwell is excited to partner with G-dcast on their new Lifecycle Series: a collection of animated shorts and personal stories about milestones in the Jewish tradition. From giving birth, to naming a child, from designing a 
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A Ritual That Can Cut Both Ways

A Ritual That Can Cut Both Ways

Anonymous
November 14, 2012
The concept of circumcision is both a deeply powerful ritual practice and a profoundly troubling remnant of a different time. 
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Cutting and Covenant: How I Decided Whether Or Not To Circumcise My Sons

Cutting and Covenant: How I Decided Whether Or Not To Circumcise My Sons

By Rabbi Julie Greenberg
November 7, 2012
The thought of saying Hebrew prayers over the cutting of a baby’s flesh seemed truly barbaric to me. I wondered, “If mothers had the power to design Judaism, would circumcision have played such a central role?” 
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Welcoming Daughters

Welcoming Daughters

By Rabbi Linda Holtzman
October 25, 2012
Looking at a baby girl and feeling the joy of celebrating who she is and who she will become are wonderful experiences. A welcoming foot washing ceremony is one way of concretizing that joy.
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No Short Cuts For Circumcision

No Short Cuts For Circumcision

By Rabbi Kevin Bernstein
October 18, 2012
Pun intended.  The popular press has recently reminded contemporary Jews that the continuation of brit milah (ritual circumcision), remains a challenge…and if you don’t believe me, ask any Jewish parent expecting a new son in the near future.
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Jewish Spiritual Autobiography

 Writing a spiritual autobiography helps you to discover how teachers, touchstones, symbols and stories have led you to make meaning and understand the sacred in your personal story. In this immersion, join Ritualwell’s Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, a writer and spiritual director, to map out and narrate your most sacred life experiences. Four sessions starting May 16, 2024. 

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The Reconstructionist Network

Reconstructing Judaism logo

Read & Rite

One-stop shop for progressive Jewish books and ritual objects

Placement Office

Placement resources for rabbis and congregations

Havaya Summer Programs

Overnight summer camp and teen Israel experience

Reconstructionist Educators of North America

Professional group for people leading schools in Reconstructionist congregations

Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association

Professional association of Reconstructionist rabbis