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

Traditional Mikveh Blessings

Traditional blessings for mikveh immersion

abortion, birthdays, cancer, conversion, mikveh, miscarriage, name change, rape, same-sex wedding, sex

A woman in a white shirt floats calmly on water, with her eyes closed and hair submerged.

Re-encountering the Stillborn Son

An anecdote on creating a ritual for a man reconnecting with his stillborn son years after his loss

crocuses in a cemetery

Service for the Interment of a Miscarriage

A funeral service for a miscarriage

white flowers

A Mother’s Prayer

A mother’s prayer for her child

mother and baby

Prayer at the Adoption of a Child

Welcoming a child into a new family

mother lifting baby in the air in a field

Prayer at the Birth of a Child

“We vow at this moment of creation / to further the work of Creation…”

newborn baby with hospital bracelet

Blessing by a Man after Miscarriage

A man’s blessing after partner’s miscarriages

sad man

Blessing for a Premature Baby

A blessing for a premature baby

newborn baby wrapped in blue blanket

Funeral Service for a Miscarriage: A Jewish Mourning Story

A funeral service for a miscarriage

Hevra Kaddishah, kaddish, loss of a child, miscarriage, shloshim, stillbirth, yahrzeit

screenshot from video, chai: funeral service for a miscarriage

Embodied Rhythm, Celebration, and Blood

Blessings for acknowledging the holiness of menstruation

Woman sitting outdoors, reading on a tablet with headphones around her neck, in a sunlit park.