Makor HaChayim, Source of Life, 

You created human beings in your image, 

B'tzelem Elohim* 

Each one of us a unique creation -

genetic material that holds a neshamah** 

a soul that is pure. 

Our bodies and our minds 

are different and diverse creations -

Full of strengths and vulnerabilities, 

talents, challenges, abilities, struggles. 

Some of us born into our bodies needing help 

to move, to see, to hear, to talk, to eat. 

Some of us will take our bodies and minds for granted 

until they change with age, 

reminding us that there are times 

when we all need support. 

The human body is a vessel that we can see, but deeper, 

what is constant and in common among us all 

is the unseen -

the souls that You have placed within us.

Makor HaChayim, Source of Life, 

Help us to encounter one another 

as that pure soul created in Your image; 

that we see ourselves and one another 

as B'tzelem Elohim. 

*B'tzelem Elohim: In Genesis 1:27, we read that God created human beings in God's own image. 

**Neshamah: A Hebrew word meaning 'soul.' 

-by Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer 

To be read while preparing for immersion:

I stand here today in anticipation of welcoming a child.

As I arrive at this juncture, I carry with me the varied emotions of gratitude, excitement and fear.

I come today in amazement of the miracle of budding life, and in full acknowledgement of the strength and wisdom through which life is formed.

Hineini, here I am, ready to fulfill the obligations of being a loving parent, a devoted presence, and a dedicated guide throughout my child's journey. 

Clip source: Mayyim Hayyim

Julie Emden is the Founding Director of Embodied Jewish Learning and the Embodied Jewish Wisdom Network, a global collaborative of leaders and seekers of movement practices infused with Jewish wisdom. Laura Hegfield is an educator, meditation guide and spiritual lay-leader, incorporating original liturgical poems and musical compositions to lift her voice in prayer, song and love. 

Julie and Laura have been chevruta (study partners), exploring and studying Torah together for more than 20 years. In their words: “In our weekly studies, we have found that our steady, long-standing witnessing of one another in relationship as we make connections between Torah and our day-to-day lives has been a plentiful well of nourishment and healing that sustains us over time. You may choose to explore this booklet together with a chevruta - a friend who may witness you and whom you may also witness, to enrich your experience.”

Published by Recustom in collaboration with Embodied Jewish Learning. All content created by Laura Hegfield and Julie Emden of the Embodied Jewish Wisdom Network, except where otherwise noted. All contributions from Laura Hegfield are copyrighted and shared with the author’s permission.

Translation by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Ribono Shel Olam, Ruler of the Universe, I hereby forgive whoever has hurt me, and whoever has done me any wrong; whether it was deliberately or by accident, whether it was done by word or by deed, in this incarnation or in previous ones. 

May no one be punished on my account. 

May it be Your will, O Lord my God, and God of my parents, that I sin no more, that I do not revert to my old ways, that I do not anger You any more by my actions.

May I not do that which is evil in Your sight. 

Wipe away the sins that I have committed, with Your great compassion, but not through sickness or suffering.

May these words of my mouth, and the prayers that are in my heart, be acceptable before You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

May we all be blessed with happiness, holiness, healing, serenity, and peace. 

-by Rabbi Isaac Luria and shared by Our Jewish Recovery 

This prayer is an invitation to lean into your deepest values and truths, and a way of setting your intentions to take an active role in tikkun olam, repairing the world.

May we hear and recognize our own calling,

We are the ones with the capacity to heal,

To nurture, and to repair the harm we have caused,

And the harm of those who came before us.

May we strive to practice tikkun olam,

May we repair the world through collective action

So that we can not only survive this changing world,

But thrive here.

May we be courageous in the face of apathy,

In the presence of our own fear and indecision,

May we move together even through grief,

Remembering that there’s still time to act,

There’s still time to remember the world

Back into being.