Preserve the memory of your loved one with a plaque on our Yahrzeit Wall. Learn More ->

Search
Close this search box.

Starting a Family

A happy family of three smiling at the camera, with a child in the center between two adults.
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

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

crocuses in a cemetery

A funeral service for a miscarriage

white flowers

A mother’s prayer for her child

mother and baby

Welcoming a child into a new family

mother lifting baby in the air in a field

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

newborn baby with hospital bracelet

A man’s blessing after partner’s miscarriages

sad man

A blessing for a premature baby

newborn baby wrapped in blue blanket

Blessings for acknowledging the holiness of menstruation

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

However you find yourself becoming a parent and raising a child you might get a few questions about what makes a Jewish child Jewish

questions about jewish adoption & surrogacy

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

Get the latest from Ritualwell

Subscribe for the latest rituals, online learning opportunities, and unique Judaica finds from our store.

The Reconstructionist Network