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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

A prayer for strength and good counsel during a difficult moment in pregnancy

pregnant woman in red dress holding leaves

Bringing a sense of kedushah to the abortion operating table

holding hands hospital bed

A prayer of thanksgiving for the goodness, protection, and empowerment in our lives

A woman in a striped shirt closes her eyes and places her hands on her chest in a peaceful indoor setting.

Poem for potential parents who experienced a misacarriage, but are forever changed by the promise of life

man facing water and forest

A reading for a baby naming on Hanukkah

A menorah with nine lit candles, glowing against a dark background.

A ritual that combines making gifts and sharing intentions for the new parents and baby-to-be, as well as making gifts for babies in need of extra support

A woman stands holding a baby in a cozy living room with several seated people watching attentively.

A prayer for strength and blessings to be recited before entering the mikveh

silhouette of woman under water

Praying for healing after the devastating loss of a pregnancy

man and woman holding hands in the ocean

Just as God hear the prayers of our matriarchs, so too may God hear our prayers

family at sunset silhouetted on the beach

Capturing the Tree of Life pattern by creating a placenta print

tree in field

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