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 (Jewish Lights Publishing)