106: Jewish Birth Rituals & Stepping Into Motherhood with Rabbi Sofia Zway

In this episode we have Rabbi Sofia Zway to share sacred Jewish birth rituals. We talk about various routes to bring ritual into this sacred period of time, nourishing mama, stepping into this new version of motherhood by marking time, and healing birth trauma. Rabbi Sofia and Erin share parts of their natural labors and diverse practices they used to heal birth trauma. Rabbi Sofia talks about Mikvah, lighting candles and co-creating new prayers/rituals to feel supportive on your personalized motherhood journey. Please note the psalm Sofia refers to is 126. Rabbi Sofia Zway was born in Ecuador to two South African parents, but spent most of her life in South Africa. As a rabbi, she’s had the privilege of serving diverse communities in Cape Town, New York, Los Angeles and Las Cruces, NM. Sofia and her husband, Rabbi Brett Kopin, are thrilled to be building sacred community in Los Angeles together as the rabbinic couple behind Base LA, a home-based community for Jews in their 20s and 30s. She received her Honors degree in Applied Theatre from the University of Cape Town and her Master of Arts and Rabbinic Ordination from Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Los Angeles. She is also a DONA-trained birth doula. Sofia is passionate about the intersection of Judaism and birth and hopes to incorporate birth work into her rabbinate. In her spare time you can find her belly-laughing with Brett, eating ice-cream, making bad puns, creating new rituals, and snuggling her 3 month old daughter.