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

Questions about Jewish Adoption and Surrogacy

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

adoption, welcoming

questions about jewish adoption & surrogacy

What is a Mikveh? An Introduction to the Jewish Ritual Bath

What is a Mikveh? An introduction to Jewish ritual bath.

abortion, adoption, anniversary, breastfeeding, cancer, conception, covenant, engagement, get, gomel, loss of a child, miscarriage, name change, sex, stillbirth

Illustration of a mikvah pool with tiled walls and stairs leading into the water. Text reads The Mikvah.

Prayer for Those Who Wish to Become Parents

Prayer for those who want to become parents

young couple lying in the grass

Tekhine for Planned Parenthood

A prayer for all of us who seek care and provide services at Planned Parenthood

Sunlight filters through a foggy forest with bare trees and a ground covered in red and orange leaves.

A Blessing for a Baby Born Prematurely

A blessing of strength and resilience for a premature baby

premature, welcoming

father son and newborn baby

Farewell Ritual for Foster Child

A ritual to say goodbye to a beloved foster child, modeled on the Jewish baby naming ceremony

adoption, fostering, naming

People holding large white sheets, standing indoors in a room with shelves in the background.

And She Laughed: A Kitchen Ritual for Healing from Miscarriage

A challah-baking ritual to encourage joy and laughter for a group of women healing from miscarriage

hands holding round platter with challah

Kaddish for My Uterus

A poem mourning the loss of one’s uterus and exalting the skill of the surgeon

woman with outstretched arms on a pier at sunrise

Miriam’s Cup: A Ritual for Adoptive Mothers of Chinese Daughters

Miriam’s Cup reinterpreted to highlight the relationship between adoptive moms and adopted daughters

adoption, Miriam's cup, seder

A vintage illustration of women playing musical instruments and dancing in a pastoral setting.

Birkat HaGomel for Birth Moms

Watch this video to learn more about birkat hagomel, a blessing to be recited after safely making it through childbirth

gomel blessing