Jofa Resources

Lifecycle Guides

Every Jewish milestone offers a chance to bring women's voices, leadership, and learning into the center of the ritual. These guides gather halakhic sources, real stories, and practical tools so your family can mark each moment fully.

Welcoming a Child
Guide One

The Birth Rituals Guide

From the zeved habat and simchat bat to prayers of thanksgiving, roles for women at a brit, and rituals for adoption and weaning, this guide gathers historical precedents and contemporary models so every family can welcome all of our children with meaning.

Read the guide
With gratitude to
  • Jennifer BregerHistorical Precedents, Crafting a Welcoming Ceremony, and Women's Involvement at a Brit
  • Jon LevisohnWhen She Arrives
  • Dr. Adena K. BerkowitzAll Jewish Children Are Our Guarantors
  • Jennifer Breger and Lisa SchlaffEditors
More for Welcoming a ChildPrefer a printable version? The original Birth Rituals guide is also available as a PDF booklet.
Coming of Age
Guide Two

The Bat Mitzvah Guide

A Bat Mitzvah marks a girl's formal entry into a life of Torah and mitzvot, not just a party with a Torah theme. This guide brings together stories from mothers, tutors, and Bat Mitzvah girls themselves, along with practical ideas for learning, leadership, and simcha, so every family can build a celebration rooted in meaning.

Read the guide
With gratitude to
  • Dr. Sharon Penkower KaplanBat Mitzvah and Women's Tefila
  • Shira BecherMy Bat Mitzvah
  • Jennifer BregerThe Mother of Two Bat Mitzvah Girls Looks Back
  • Ilana FodimanReflections of a Bat Mitzvah Tutor
  • Renee S. SeptimusThe Voice of a Mother
More for Bat Mitzvah PlanningDrawing on years of running Manhattan Day School's school wide Bat Mitzvah program, Shalhevet Cahana shares a full recap, with ideas for parent daughter learning, chessed projects, and culminating breakfasts.
Building a Bayit
Guide Three

The Marriage Guide

For generations, the choreography of an Orthodox wedding centered almost entirely on the groom. This guide gathers halakhic sources, real stories, and a full checklist so that the bride, and the women who love her, can take an active and meaningful role from the tisch to the chuppah and beyond.

Read the guide
With gratitude to
  • Blu GreenbergTaking the Old and Making It New Again
  • Ruthie Braffman ShulmanJOFA Chattan and Kallah Classes
  • Keshet StarrThe Halakhic Prenuptial Agreement
  • Abigail PickA Personal Account
  • Rabbanit Leah SarnaA Personal Account
  • Rabbi Dov LinzerThe Giving of the Ring
  • Rabbi Dr. Joel WolowelskyWomen's Participation in Sheva Berachot
  • Miryam KabakovLGBTQ+ Considerations
  • Tamar Lindenbaum and Sabina TilevitzCreating a New Paradigm
  • Melech TannenMechitza at Weddings
More for Wedding PlanningFor a beautifully detailed walk through planning an inclusive ceremony, see Rabbanit Leah Sarna's guide on her website.
These guides are living documents. If you have a story, source, or idea to add, we would love to hear from you.