What Do Rites of Passage Accomplish?

What do Rites of Passage Accomplish? by Rabbi Goldie Milgram with Barry Bub

Rituals and their symbolic, action, and liturgical components facilitate lifecycle events or significant transitions by:

·     providing the framework of support for desired or necessary change

·     acting as speed bumps that invite reflection and integration

·     affirming identity and place in community

·     helping the individual zoom out and see the bigger picture, which

·     creates an experiential shift in awareness in the here and now

·     helping deepen and create meaning from experience

·     allowing us to identify losses, something inherent to all transitions

·     helping us to connect with the mystery of existence

·     providing nurturing

·     promoting healing and balance

·     supporting our emerging identity

·     supporting the family and community of the person in transition

·     providing a way to celebrate cycles

·     honoring and understanding patterns larger than oneself.

Learn more: Living Jewish Life Cycle: How to Create Meaningful Jewish Rites of Passage at Every Stage of Life [2] (Jewish Lights Publishing)