Sections:
Birth Rites of Passage Weddings Illness Death

Birth

A Tragedy in Which Nothing Happens
A couple struggles with the pain and sadness of infertility.
February 2000
Ben Daniel

A New Prayer, A Father's Prayer
The Spiritual Accomplishment of Fatherhood
February 2000
Matthew Blair Hoyt

To Get On This Team, You've Got to Make the Cut
Some thoughts on ritual circumcision
February 2000
Nancy Cahners

Say Yes to Circumcision
Why this ancient practice is still relevant to modern Jews.
January 26, 2000
Dorothy F. Greenbaum

To Welcome a Child
A few words on having your heart stretched.
January 7, 2000
Wendy M. Wright

Chanting Pure Sound in Childbirth
A pregnancy and childbirth expert argues for making childbirth more spiritual.
January 7, 2000
Frederick Leboyer

The Source of All the Confusion
What the Talmud says happens to babies the moment before they're born.
December 20, 1999
Annie Dillard

The Perils of Cross-Cultural Naming
What should a Hindu man and a Protestant woman name their New York baby?
December 20, 1999
Tunku Varadarajan

The Redemptive Force of Children: An Allegory of Adoption
A newborn brings the chance to see the world through new eyes.
December 20, 1999
Rabbi Melissa Crespy

Birth Rites
With the help of a witch, a second-time mother creates her own birth ceremony.
December 20, 1999
Laura Fitch

Rites of Passage

Let's Talk About S-E-X
Advice for fathers on that most uncomfortable of topics: Discussing it may help convince your children to wait till marriage.
By Walter Mueller

Sexlodge
A New Age sweet sixteen.
January 2000
Zachary Karabell

Diary: Speaking in Tongues
Frozen yogurt, Sunday worship, and a first kiss.
January 2000
Anonymous

Daughter of a Preacher Man
What happens when a PK gets confirmed.
January 2000
Sarah Hinlicky

Boom Boxes and Ribbons
How One Enterprising Group of Women Invented a New Ritual for Teenage Girls
January 2000
Sarah Reid

Confirmation Conundrums
A 15-year-old struggles with faith and doubt.
December 20, 1999
Anonymous

A Gem of an Idea
Jewelry for a girl's coming of age.
December 20, 1999
Virginia Beane Rutter

To This Day, It Remains a Big Day
First Communion is about more than frilly white dresses.
December 20, 1999
Therese Borchard

Confused About the Meaning of Confirmation?
So were the church fathers. Here's a slice of their debate.
December 20, 1999
Church Fathers

Defining Moment
A bat mitzvah shapes a girl into the woman she'll become.
December 20, 1999
Tova Mirvis

Weddings

With This Ring...
A short history of wedding rings
February 2000
Christine M. Anello

For the Couple Who Has Everything
How Wedding Gifts Can Give Something Back
February 2000
Mary Owen

Your Interfaith Wedding
What to Expect When Approaching Potential Officiants
February 2000
Joan C. Hawxhurst

Three Rabbis, Four Opinions
Rabbis State Their Views on Officiating at Interfaith Weddings
February 2000
Barry Baron, Emily Korzenik, and Charles Familant

Interfaith Invocations
Two Sample Invocations For an Interfaith Wedding
February 2000
Joan C. Hawxhurst

Something New
Mini-Review of "Something New: Reflections on the Beginnings of Marriage" by Amanda Beasley
February 2000
Lauren F. Winner

What's Wrong With A Church Wedding?
Nothing, unless you're afraid to tell your Jewish father you're having one
January 2000
Lauren F. Winner

Who's a Wedding Really For?
A Bride and Groom Negotiate Rocky Terrain with their Families
January 2000
Emily Bloch

Can Marriage Survive?
A Father's Words on His Daughter's Wedding Day
January 2000
Peter Jones

A Short History of Engagement
Interesting facts about the roots of modern engagement
January 2000
Christina M. Anello

I Do?
An Argument For Traditional Wedding Vows
December 20, 1999
David Blankenhorn

Theresa Weisberg's Wedding
An 88 year-old woman's recollection of her wedding day, as told to her daughter
December 20, 1999
Theresa Weisberg

Wedding Traditions from Around the World
Throw flowers instead of rice to end your ceremony with a traditional Indian flourish.
December 20, 1999
Daphne Rose Kingma

Illness

Lost and Found
Faced with the prospect of losing everything, I proceeded to lose my keys, my wallet, and two hats. Then I found solace in simple household routines, and every ordinary day became a revelation.
December 20, 1999
Lisa Wormser

Tonglen Meditation
Changing Pain into Compassion.
December 20, 1999
Audio by Pema Chodron

The Importance of Touch
When you wonder what you can do to help, sometimes the answer is easy: just reach out and touch someone.
December 20, 1999
Fourteen Friends

Caregivers' Bill of Rights
How to stay sane while caring for someone you love.
December 20, 1999
The American Health Assistance Foundation

Coping with Illness During the Holidays
When there's illness in the house, holiday cheer can ring hollow. Here are some tips for reclaiming the season.
December 20, 1999
The Reverend Duane Parker, Ph. D.

Death

Q & A: Coping with Childhood Grief

January 17, 2000
Helen Fitzgerald

When a Parent Dies

January 3, 2000
Helen Fitzgerald

Daddy has died

January 3, 2000
Debbie Jospin

Everyone Cries in the Same Language
With the 'wrong language' and the 'wrong religion,' a Rabbi helped grieving families at the site of the Egypt Air crash.
December 20, 1999
Andrea Gouze

Debunking Hospice Myths
If you think you know what hospice is, you're probably wrong.
December 20, 1999
Naomi Naierman

Eulogy for Alex
'God doesn't go around this world with his fingers on triggers, his fist around knives, his hands on steering wheels.'
December 20, 1999
Reverend William Sloane Coffin

Dying Without Fear
What would happen if we openly faced the fact that life, in all its goodness, includes the reality of death?
December 20, 1999
Fran Moreland Johns

When a Sibling Dies
When parents lose a child, the whole world grieves with them. But what about the grief of surviving siblings?
December 20, 1999
Helen Fitzgerald

A Slow Death Quickens the Faith
What my grandmother taught me about the right to die.
December 20, 1999
Thomas Lynch