Preserve the memory of your loved one with a plaque on our Yahrzeit(Yiddish) The anniversary of a death, usually marked by the lighting of a 24-hour yahrzeit candle and the recitation of Kaddish, the memorial prayer. For U.S. Jews, the unveiling of the headstone usually takes place on or around the first yahrzeit. Wall. Learn More ->
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.
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
Describes the customs of Sephardic Jews who celebrated a woman’s first pregnancy by cutting the swaddling clothes at a festive gathering of women
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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Modeling respectful conversations on pressing Jewish issues
Curating original, Jewish rituals, and convening Jewish creatives
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