About Neshama Mama

Neshama Mama is a new library of Jewish rituals for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. A gathering place of my writings and offerings, my learnings and questions. A portal for resources and conversation. A seedling for inspiration and innovation. A space to connect with our ancestors, each other, and the new generations we gift to the world.

Neshama means both “soul” and “breath.” During Creation, God breathed a soul into the first human. Our breath, our soul, and the act of Creation are closely intertwined. As parents, we, too, bring a new soul into this world. We, too, are full of breath, full of a soul that is uniquely ours and very much alive. In this way, we are never truly empty.

Mama rhymes with Neshama, and that's pretty cute. This library is open to all genders, families, and relationships. No assumption is made of a birthing person's gender, identity, or what your children might call you.

About Lucy

Lucy Marshall is a queer Ashkenazi Jewish educator, facilitator, ritualist, and network weaver. Passionate about cultivating Jewish belonging, she is the Director of Community Services at Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Minneapolis. Previously, Lucy directed the Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network at Mayyim Hayyim, taught at Shir Tikvah Congregation, and served as the Twersky Education Fellow at the Jewish Women’s Archive. She has her MSW from the University of Minnesota and MA in Jewish Education from the Jewish Theological Seminary. Lucy is a proud ema (mother) to her babies Lazer and Raizel on Dakota Land in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

I would love to collaborate and learn with you.

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אֱלֹהַי, נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי

Neshama Shenatata Bi

,אֱלֹהַי

נְשָׁמָה שֶׁנָּתַתָּ בִּי

,טְהוֹרָה הִיא

,אַתָּה בְרָאתָהּ

,אַתָּה יְצַרְתָּהּ

,אַתָּה נְפַחְתָּהּ בִּי

,וְאַתָּה מְשַׁמְּרָהּ בְּקִרְבִּי

וְאַתָּה עָתִיד

,לִטְּלָהּ מִמֶּנִּי

וּלְהַחֲזִירָהּ בִּי

.לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא

כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה בְּקִרְבִּי

מוֹדֶה אֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ

יְיָ אֱלֹהַי

,וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי

:רִבּוֹן כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים, אֲדוֹן כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְיָ

הַמַּחֲזִיר נְשָׁמוֹת

לִפְגָרִים מֵתִים

The breath you have given me

Translation by R' Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

My God,

The breath You have given me

Is fresh.

You create it.

You form it.

You breathe it into me.

And you keep me breathing.

At some time,

You will take it away from me,

And I will have breathed

my last breath in this body.

And You will resuscitate me,

To the life of the spirit.

For each breath still in me,

I thank You,

My own God,

Who is also my parents’ God,

Lord of all spirits, Master of all that happens.

I offer You thanks,

Cosmic Majesty,

And worship You,

For keeping me breathing.

And in this way,

With each breath,

You give me Life anew.

lucillemarshall6@gmail.com | 630.399.2664

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