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Growing Older

An elderly woman joyfully jumps in a garden, with sunlight and trees in the background.

Several generations ago, a woman got married in her early 20s, had children immediately, and by the time she was finished having children, she was well on the way to being a grandmother. And life was shorter. Today, most of us can hope to enjoy many years when our focus shifts back to our own goals and purposes, much as it did in our 20s. Questions of meaning and purpose again present themselves. At the same time, we have acquired the wisdom of years, and some of us long to have that recognized and celebrated within our communities. Other important events characterize this time of life: our bodies change, some of us become grandparents, some of us retire from long-established careers, and at some point we may move out of our homes and downsize, or even move in with children or into a facility. All of these changes present opportunities for ritual.

Latest Rituals

Ritual for moving into new phase of life post-childbearing

Pink rose petals, a pomegranate, small red berries, and purple flowers arranged on gravel in a circular pattern.

“Blessed are You, God, who turns the hearts of parents toward children”

Two women sitting on a park bench, smiling and laughing, with trees in the background at sunset.

“Life returns itself to Life.”

Two people holding hands, one in a blue top and the other in a white shirt with a small pattern.

“Your birthright renews every breath”

A family stands in a field at sunset, as a child points toward the horizon.

“I imagine a field where they gather: those / grandmothers”

A person in a long, flowing dress walks barefoot along a cloudy beach shoreline.
“See, I set before you this day, a blessing and a curse. Choose blessing.”
A fountain pen writing cursive on lined paper.
“We have the opportunity / To become a re-creation”
A person in a flowing white dress wades through shallow, clear water, with hands visible and a sandy bottom.

“Resist the call to silence and beat your big drum”

Person with green hair and a pink bandana, sitting on a turquoise chair, viewed from the back.

“Please give me the strength to care for this parent in their suffering”

hands on top of hands

Poem honoring a grandmother’s story of survival

An older woman and a younger person embrace warmly in a park setting.

The Reconstructionist Network

Serving as central organization of the Reconstructionist movement

Training the next generation of groundbreaking rabbis

Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues

Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives

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The Reconstructionist Network