Jewish Questions about Using Donors

Not many heterosexual people give too much thought to what using a donor to have children would be like. The use of a donor comes into the picture after experiencing infertility or receiving another diagnosis. For any one facing this decision, a lot of important questions to ask.  For Jewish people, however, there is an […]

That Time Again #HHD2023

There are many themes within the Jewish High Holidays. The beginning of the year, God’s rule, and teshuva/repentance. What often gets over looked is the pervading theme of fertility and infertility. Whether you are a seasoned attendee of High Holiday services or celebrate with a holiday dinner with friends or family, the significance of the […]

#LivingWithInfertility

If you are reading this, you survived Mother’s Day. And sure enough, now comes Father’s Day. Of course you were going to survive and you will continue to survive, but the reality of infertility is that it may feel like so much effort just to survive.  There is no book  “Thriving During Infertility” or “How […]

My Path to Building My Own Jewish Family

Mariela Socolovsky: My Path to Building My Own Jewish Family A Note: I’ll be starting my maternity leave at the end of this week, on November 4th. I’m currently 38 weeks’  pregnant, but started writing this essay a bit before my 20th week of pregnancy. In my 20s, the “do not get pregnant” advice translated […]

#ReproShabbat – Protecting All Reproductive Care

The term reproductive rights has too often become synonymous with abortion rights. “Reproductive rights” are not seen as such in Judaism. A more expansive view of reproductive rights is important for understanding Judaism’s stance on the issue. It is also essential because Jewish views include the painfully overlooked population of those facing infertility and other […]

Spiritual Care During Covid-19 (2)

The COVID19 pandemic came at an interesting time on the Jewish calendar. Something very important can be learned from this. The period of time between Passover, celebrating the Exodus from Egypt, and Shavuot, celebrating receiving Torah at Mount Sinai, is a time of counting. Bundles of wheat were brought to the Temple. The portion was […]

Two New Years?

By guest columnist Dr. Karen Wasserstein What to do with another New Year? Being Jewish, I celebrate two New Years. Is it lucky to have two New Years or is it unlucky? My family and I fully celebrate Rosh Hashanah as the Jewish New Year. We spend the month ahead of time talking about it, […]

Facing Fertility Challenges in the Jewish Community

By Terry Friedkin This column originally appeared in The Jewish News of Northern California , November 12, 2019   Several months ago, I was asked to speak at an event for Hasidah, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that “raises awareness of infertility, connects people to support resources and reduces financial barriers to [fertility] treatment in the Jewish […]

Do I really have to answer that?? #FertilityQuestions

The debate about questions and their stupidity is on-going. Dumb is subjective. Thoughtless or insensitive is a little more precise. Questions about people’s family planning are often in that category. In the Jewish tradition, the Talmud guides a lot of our behavior and provides guidelines for prioritizing situations. However,  Rav Abby, sister of Rabbi Landers, […]

Support for Infertility in the Jewish Community

In honor of Passover  – removing chametz from our lives and leaving the narrow places – Hasidah invited several guest bloggers to provide support for dealing with infertility during the holiday and beyond. Guest blogger Alissa Hirshfeld-Flores, is a marriage and family therapist in Santa Rosa, CA Many Jewish holidays can evoke grief for women […]