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The Divorced Woman Toward a New Ritual

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When a Jewish marriage ends, women receiving their *get* (religious divorce document) face a profound spiritual and emotional transition without ceremonial support—a striking omission in a tradition that transforms life's pivotal moments into sacred ritual. While Judaism offers structured practices for mourning death, celebrating birth, and marking other major transitions, divorced women navigate their complex journey of loss and renewal in ritual silence. Through qualitative analysis of women's experiences and examination of existing Jewish mourning and life-cycle rituals, three critical needs emerge: acknowledging relationship death, achieving psychological closure, and embracing personal empowerment. Drawing from established Jewish practices, a new comprehensive ceremony called *Tad Lag'rushot* adapts traditional elements including *kaddish*, *keri'ah* (ritual tearing), hand washing, and communal meals. The proposed ritual brings together a supportive *minyan* of friends, incorporates symbolic acts of separation and renewal, features Psalmic readings emphasizing divine support, and includes elements affirming the woman's sovereignty over her new domestic domain. This structured ritual framework provides essential emotional support and community recognition during divorce proceedings, offering both mourning acknowledgment and empowerment celebration, while contributing to contemporary Jewish feminist ritual innovation and addressing a significant gap in life-cycle ceremonial practices.

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    Published 1992

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  • Publication Credits

    Diane Cohen