Two-part Ceremony for a Son or Daughter Leaving for College
A ritual for parents and children involving a havdalah service before leaving for college and the hanging of a mezuzah upon arrival
Saying Good-bye at College Time
A father’s prayer read at the Shabbat table prior to his son’s departure for college
To A Daughter Leaving Home
Ceremony for a child going off to college for the first time
A Family Ritual for a New Driver
A ritual for parents and children marking this significant moment in their relationship
New Rituals for the Onset of Menstruation
A set of suggestions for creating a Jewish celebration of menarche
As My Daughter Bleeds, So Do I
A poem about a daughter’s onset of menses at the same time as her mother, the poet, begins menopause
Crescent Tambourine
A tambourine ritual for the onset of menses
From Developing Girl to Changing Woman
A ritual for a girl’s first period. Includes a circle of names, blessings, candle-lighting, and gift-giving. Ritual objects include a tambourine, red ribbons, a decorative egg, a ring, candles, and red fruits.
Encountering the Divine Presence
The author realizes that in a religion imbued with the idea of making ordinary moments sacred through blessing, there was no blessing for the moment of her first period. She explores how that moment would have been different had it been blessed.
Enter: A Woman
A moonlit ceremony on the shores of a brook. Celebrates the entrance of a daughter into womanhood. Includes songs, book-giving, adapted tashlich ritual, and blessings.
