A ceremony that a woman who has had an abortion can perform with a group of women. This ceremony uses the symbols of tashlich (casting out) and mikveh;Â the woman mourns the loss, renews herself, and attempts to bring closure to the abortion.
A ceremony that a pregnant woman or couple can perform with a close group of friends or family after the decision to have a therapeutic abortion has been made
A ritual divided into three parts: Mourning the Loss, Choosing Life Again, and Communal Support and Blessings
A Rosh Chodesh ritual that draws on Tu B’Av’s traditional association with the celebration of women and love to honor communally the love and losses that shape so much of our experiences of any given year
This ceremony uses the occasion of havdalah, the service separating Shabbat from the week, to mourn a miscarriage
A mourning ceremony for twins who died before birth
Selections and adaptations from a larger ceremony
Havdalah ceremony after a miscarriage or abortion
A prayer to be said by a group of friends or family for a woman close to giving birth using the symbolic red thread from Rachel’s Tomb
It is customary for pregnant women and women seeking to become pregnant to offer prayers to Rachel, Judaism’s mater dolorosa. Specifically, women visit Rachel’s tomb in Bethlehem, wrap a red cord around the tomb, then cut it into smaller pieces which they tie around their own wrists. This ritual for a pregnant woman is based on this custom.
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