Another period. Another pregnancy lost. A child stillborn. Different paths toward emptiness—all devastating. Even if we try to pray, our prayers often crumble in our souls, our dreams dissolve in our hearts. Despair seeps in the doors, taps at the windows, and threatens to clog all our passages of hope. How can we speak softly to God when we see, yet again, the fruitless stain of our blood; when we feel the lifeless mass slipping from our womb; or when we hold a beautiful, perfect but still child in our arms? For some of us, no amount of explanation—medical or theological—can soothe.
These prayers are meant to be recited in synagogue as an introduction to birkat hagomel (a prayer said during the Torah service by one who has survived a dangerous situation) by someone who has suffered a miscarriage. [more]
A ritual divided into three parts: Mourning the Loss, Choosing Life Again and Communal Support and Blessings. A contemporary ritual with selections in Hebrew taken from the Psalms, Job, and Deuteronomy. [more]
This ceremony uses the occasion of havdalah, the service separating Shabbat from the week, to mourn a miscarriage. It is performed at home with a small circle of family and friends. [more]