Ritualwell is the source for innovative, contemporary Jewish rituals. The site provides resources to sanctify holidays and life milestones, and empowers Jews to shape and renew Jewish tradition.
Ritualwell:
- provides quality resources for contemporary Jewish ceremonies and rituals;
- gives you access to creative innovation in Judaism;
- empowers you to use Jewish ritual and liturgy to meet your needs;
- uses the Web to connect Jews to a living Judaism.
Why a ritual well?
The well is a symbol of hope and of healing.
According to legend, during the Israelites' 40 years wandering in the desert, water was provided from a mystical well that rolled along with them as they traveled. The presence of the well is credited to the merit of the prophet Miriam, Moses' sister, and thus has rich resonance for Jewish women. According to some traditions, the well was filled with the waters of the firmament at the creation of the world, and some believe it still exists, somewhere near Tiberias, providing ongoing spiritual nourishment.
The creators of ritualwell believe that Judaism flourishes through the contributions of its practitioners. We also believe in the importance of ritual as a means to sanctify life and give meaning to the passage of time.
Finally, we seek to enlarge the canon of Jewish ritual through a policy of inclusivity and a recognition of the need to sanctify occasions that Judaism has only recently begun to recognize. We stand firmly in the tradition of those who have come before us who have added to and reworked the canon of Jewish liturgy so that the eternal words of Torah continue to speak to each new generation of Jews.
Much of the impetus for the creation of new ritual began with modern feminism. At first, women noted women’s and girls’ absence – at brit milah, at bar mitzvah – and sought to create parallel ceremonies for girls. Women went on to notice the absence of ritual at other meaningful events in their lives – such as menstruation, miscarriage, and menopause – and began to create rituals for those occasions, too. Over time, the canon of Jewish ritual has expanded as women and men have sought to create rituals for sanctifying all of the significant moments of their lives – everything from starting kindergarten, to losing a tooth, to buying a home, to retiring from a job. Feminism has both enlarged and enriched all of Jewish liturgy.
On ritualwell, you will find lifecycle rituals for a variety of occasions, both distinctly women’s events and more universal ones. With holiday celebrations, we have highlighted uniquely feminist contributions to the holidays.
While recent years have witnessed a plethora of new holiday ritual – environmental, peace, interfaith – there are other wonderful resources for all of those important causes. In some cases, our links and bibliography refer you to those resources.
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