It is a blessing to create and carry life in our bodies. Giving birth is one of life’s great privileges. It allows us to partner with the divine in the act of creation. Historically, Judaism provided scant opportunity to mark this occasion. Here, we offer prayers and rituals for celebrating this unique and wondrous experience.
A mother’s prayer for the health and well-being of her new baby and the wisdom to raise her
Traditional prayer of thanks for a mother after delivering a child, or for one who has recently escaped danger or returned safely from a journey
To recite when the baby is born or at the ceremony
A prayer to be said immediately following the birth of a child
A prayer to be said in synagogue for a mother who has newly given birth
On the absence of ritual at the birth of daughters, with suggestions for new rituals for conception, pregnancy, and childbirth
A fanciful account, based on the Zohar, a mystical text, describing a baby’s life in the womb, during which time, a candle burns over the baby’s head enabling her to see from one end of the universe to the other and the angels teach her all of Torah.
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
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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