Reproductive Experiences

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In contemporary homes, starting a family is often a deliberate choice. The experience of pregnancy, the drama of giving birth, and the miracle of adoption are occasions for joy and wonder. These are also experiences that can be fraught with pain and struggle, reflecting the full spectrum of life and death. We offer prayers for those who are trying to conceive, prayers for pregnancy and childbirth, rituals for parents preparing to adopt, mourning ceremonies for miscarriages, blessings for those struggling with infertility, rituals to prepare for or acknowledge an abortion, and much more.

Latest Rituals

From an Italian collection of 18th century prayers for married women written by Dr. Giuseppe Cohen and presented to his bride as a wedding gift

A ritual to be performed in a women’s group focusing on the new mother

A poem that likens the womb’s circles to other circles within Judaism

A ceremony for a woman about to give birth, based on the Navajo custom of the blessingway

From Genesis 49:25 and Deuteronomy 7:13

A form of this touching prayer in modern English

A prayer that may be said before a medical exam for those undergoing fertility treatment/counseling

The author brings to life the Genesis tale of Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar by locating Sarah and Abraham’s infertility as the central factor motivating the characters’ behavior

Contemporary Israeli prayer expressing desire for a child

This essay on grieving the inability to bear children relates the author’s dialogue with her deceased grandmother about whether she has the permission to mourn

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