Editor’s Note: This week’s blog from guest writer Erika Davis of “Black, Gay, Jewish” may not at first seem to be explicitly about Jewish ritual. However, when Erika interrupted her scheduled series to write about her grief around the Eric Garner case, we knew that her story touched on the very things that have brought so many of you to our site over the years. We thank Erika for sharing her story with us and hope you will find comfort and sustenance in her words.
Rituals have the power to mark or to move us through transitions. Sometimes they take the form of a long, thoughtfully-planned ceremony, such as a wedding, conversion, or baby naming. Other times, they bubble up in a short, spontaneous prayer—such as before a meal or in a moment of pain or celebration. We can look to our biblical texts for examples of both, whether reading about the carefully proscribed Temple rituals or Moses’ impromptu plea for healing on behalf of
