by Rabbi Dr. Lisa Vendeland

Reid Scott is quoted as saying, “For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had pets. Something about the connection you share with this entirely different species just blows my mind.”

They are intelligent and perceptive. They comfort us and humanize us. They make us better people. Our family has always had pets. This isn’t too surprising since more than 470 million dogs and 370 million cats are kept as pets worldwide (fish and birds are also very popular pet choices).

They are an integral part of our families. In our faith tradition, we enjoy many baby-naming and covenanting rituals. Here is one that my family asked me to write to use when adopting and naming a new pet.

Dear Holy One of blessing,

We are gathered together and filled with joy today

as we adopt and name this precious soul

who has chosen us to care for them.

(May insert how the pet came to the individual or family.)

Help us strive to meet their needs with love,

compassion, and tenderness.

Bless them that they learn trust and love.

May the paths of Torah guide us every day

to treat our new charge humanely, meeting their needs

before our own.

May we enjoy many good years of companionship with each other.

Joyfully, we give the name ___________,

(for the reason) or (because) _______________.

L’Chaim!

(Apply a collar or new name tag, then provide a toy or treat to the pet.)

Don’t forget to mark the occasion with plenty of pictures!

Some leave a small section of wall unfinished/unpainted in memory of the destruction of the Temple

• Zecher L’churban by Rabbi Ari Enkin (Orthodox)
• In Memoria of the Temple’s Destruction: From a Blank Wall to a Work of Art by Dr. Noa Yuval-Hacham (Schechter)
• Remembering the Temple's Destruction by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed (Yeshiva Co., Beit El Yeshiva)

The Danish call it "hygge," a sense of feeling cozy and safe at home. Many Jewish homes feature Birkat HaBayit, a blessing of protection on a plaque. What feels and blessing do you want to invite into your home? Create your own using this template.

Let this home be filled with:

May we support each other through:

May we always feel:

Peace in the home is an important Jewish value. Whether it’s helping family members resolve conflicts or mediating a dispute between friends or colleagues, promoting peace requires patience, understanding, and empathy.

Do something today that helps make your home feel more peaceful. Add in a new plant. Play calm music. Commit to an evening without yelling at the kids. Tell your roommate how special they are. Clean up your dinner dishes. Even a small act can help your life feel more peaceful.

Like any ritual, you don’t need to wait for the next holiday or major lifecycle event to recite the shehecheyanu. You can bring this blessing into your everyday life, by transforming ordinary moments into milestones. 

When we bring intention to something and give it our full attention, we elevate the mundane into a ritual that’s worthy of a shehecheyanu blessing. By taking an active role in ritual and creating personally meaningful practices, we can better care for ourselves and each other in difficult times. 

Connecting with our senses helps us notice the amazing all around us. Here are some ideas to engage your senses and discover opportunities to say the shehecheyanu. 

• Sight: noticing the first buds on the trees or the leaves changing color; seeing beautiful art
• Sound: hearing a favorite song by happenstance; noticing the ice cream truck jingle for the first time that summer
• Taste: tasting a new fruit or vegetable; enjoying a food you eat on special occasions 
• Touch: embracing a loved one after a long time apart; holding a family heirloom; swimming in the ocean
• Smell: catching a whiff of a loved one’s perfume or scent; smelling the fragrant blossoms of lilacs, roses or peonies 

Using a journal or the space below, reflect on the milestone(s) you wish to celebrate by saying the shehecheyanu. What are you grateful for in this exact moment, today, in this wondrous life you are blessed to live? 

In Jewish tradition, every moment is an opportunity for meaning, whether it’s the first sip of water in the morning or the act of tying your shoes. These small rituals are not just routines, they’re reminders of the light we carry within ourselves and the strength of our people. Even in the midst of uncertainty or when facing adversity, these practices help us pause, connect to something larger than ourselves, and ground us in the present.

We have the power to choose to stand strong in our Jewish identity in the face of growing antisemitism. By embracing, reimagining, and making work for your own life rituals that have been passed down through generations, we hope you will find a wellspring of resilience and moments of joy rooted in Jewish traditions. By weaving even a few of these practices into your daily life and making them your own, you’re doing more than cultivating mindfulness - you’re pushing back against darkness. Each small act, whether it's a blessing before a meal or a prayer before bed, is a way of shining your light into the world. May these rituals fill your life with meaning, one sacred moment at a time, and may that feeling spread outward, dispelling the shadows we face together.