Grandparenting

Ure’eh banim l’vanecha / shalom al yisrael. And you [will be blessed] to see your children’s children / And there will be peace for all of Israel. (Psalm 128). As the rabbis might ask: What is the relationship of the reisha (the first part of this statement) and the seifa (the second part)? What does seeing your grandchildren have to do with peace in Israel? According to Moshe Hellner, may his memory be for a blessing, when a daughter gets married her father asks himself, “Who is this guy she is marrying? How is he worthy of her?” When he sees the grandchildren before him, all is forgiven, and there is “peace in Israel.” For many people, becoming a grandparent is a high point of life, the payoff for all those years of piano lessons, trips to the orthodontist, peanut butter sandwiches, and sleepless nights. The moment when one looks upon the face of one’s grandchild is worthy of a special blessing. Several of our contributors offer their ideas.

Latest Rituals

“No words can describe it. / The first time I held her on my chest…”
a new infant
“G-d forbid we eat grocery store drek.”
clawfoot bathtub
A poem on counting the years with your grandchildren.
children in silhouette playing on the rocks
A complete ceremony to honor becoming a grandparent, either with the new family member’s parents and new grandchild present or from a distance
Smiling grandmother being hugged by toddler in pigtails against a black background
“We have been waiting for you”
closeup of newborn white baby held by adult white hands
“My grandchild, at three, is imperious”
small white boy in orange t-shirt playing with toys at a table
“This year we have someone new joining our Seder table”
My Newborn Grandson’s First Seder

“Your birthright renews every breath”

Tomorrow

Poem honoring a grandmother’s story of survival

Sophie

The Reconstructionist Network

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