Starting a Family

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

Water: A Prayer/Mikveh Ritual for an IVF Miscarriage

“There is nothing mere about water”

grief, IVF, mikveh, miscarriage, Shekhinah

Black and white image of a person underwater, bubbles rising from their mouth, and light beams filtering through.

From Miscarriage to Mikveh

“Help me love you in faith, not grief”

loss of a child, mikveh

Silhouetted woman covers her face with hands against a dramatic, cloudy sky in black and white.

Brit Horim: A New Parent Ketubah

“becoming a parent is a significant lifecycle event and merits its own ritual”

baby naming, brit milah, parent

A woman holding and kissing a baby indoors on a couch.

Sibling Blessing

“May you never feel alone for you will always have each other”

baby naming, blessing

Two children walk arm in arm down a leaf-strewn forest path in black and white.

Brit Mishpakhah: Marking the Adoption of an Older Child

“We wrote this ritual to mark the adoption of our son, who was weeks away from his 18th birthday at the time”

A family of three smiling together outdoors, with hills visible in the background.

Prayer for Those Struggling to Conceive & Infertility

“Blessed are You, Divine Presence, Healer of All Flesh and Maker of Miracles”

infertility, pregnancy, Shekhinah

A woman sits outdoors with her hands together, appearing thoughtful or contemplative, surrounded by fallen leaves.

Hearing in our Hearts

A prayer about infertility invoking the biblical Hannah

Person sitting by a window with closed eyes, hands clasped, and a book on the table.

Prayer Before Starting IVF

infertility, IVF

Woman sitting on a pier, wrapped in a blanket, gazing at a calm sea during sunrise or sunset.

Ritual of Separating from a Foster Child

Three people walking through autumn leaves; a child holding hands with two adults.

Mother’s Day Prayer

A woman kisses a baby on the cheek while holding them in her arms, sitting on a couch indoors.