Becoming an Elder

It is a great privilege to become an elder—to grow in wisdom and have the capacity to share it with others. We celebrate this gift with prayers, blessings, and rituals to mark our passage into the next phase of adulthood.

Latest Rituals

A complete ceremony to honor becoming a grandparent, either with the new family member’s parents and new grandchild present or from a distance
Smiling grandmother being hugged by toddler in pigtails against a black background
“Shine to me, stars. / There’s too much light.”
pinkish dark night sky with clouds and stars and person sitting on a boulder looking up at sky with headlight on their head
“My knees creak and twinge / as I bend to bless”
Bending to Bless

“Jacob gave his blessings, / although some say he faltered”

Vayekhi: Words

“Blessed are You, God, who turns the hearts of parents toward children”

The Burden and the Blessings: A Prayer for Those Caring for an Aging Parent

“Your birthright renews every breath”

Tomorrow

“I imagine a field where they gather: those / grandmothers”

Daughter of Your Bones
“We have the opportunity / To become a re-creation”
Hayyei Sarah: My Prayer

“Resist the call to silence and beat your big drum”

Be Not Still

Poem honoring a grandmother’s story of survival

Sophie

The Reconstructionist Network

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