Honoring Life’s Big Moments
with SIJCC + Rabbi Kerry

GUIDANCE | MEANING | CONNECTION

 
 

What Are Life Cycle Events?

Life cycle events are the moments that mark personal and communal change and transition. From welcoming new life to honoring loved ones who have passed to changing one’s name or surviving an ordeal, rituals old and new hold the power of pause. And in that pause, we can connect with our ancestors, ourselves, and one another.

Meet Rabbi Kerry

As a ritualist, teacher, and spiritual counselor, Rabbi Kerry Chaplin (yes, that is her real name) practices and preaches an embodied, living spirituality through authentic relationship with one’s own mind, body, and spirit. He believes that sharing this authenticity with others and with the Divine, however you understand the Divine today, deepens connections that help us live better. Learn more about Rabbi Kerry.

How WE Can Help:

Rabbi Kerry brings compassion, wisdom, and a deep connection to Jewish traditions to guide you through:

  • Baby Welcoming (e.g., Brit Milah, Baby Namings, Brit Shalom)
    Celebrate the arrival of new life with a ceremony that welcomes your child into your family and communities in a way that is meaningful for who you are. 

  • B Mitzvahs
    Honor your Jewishness or your child’s coming of age with a ritual  tailored to your child’s individuality and responsibility as an emerging Jewish adult.

  • Mezuzah Hanging
    Recommit your home with blessing and intention through ancient words and ancestral practice.

  • Name Changes
    Celebrate the journey with a ritual that honors where you come from, where you are, and where you’re going.

  • Divorce Rituals
    Navigate endings with sensitivity and care through rituals that offer closure and healing.

  • Weddings
    Cocreate a joyous, personalized ritual to connect with the vast tradition of Jewish partnerships and to lift up who you are and what matters to your emerging family.

  • Funerals, Memorials, and Shivas
    Honor the lives of those who have passed and open yourselves to the possibility of community comfort. 

  • End-of-Life Transitions
    Provide spiritual support and meaningful rituals during life’s final moments.

Why Call SIJCC?

At SIJCC, we are more than a community center—we are here for your family in moments of celebration and challenge. Rabbi Kerry combines Jewish ancestral wisdom with modern insight to create rituals that resonate with you and your loved ones.

How much do services cost?

Services are available to SIJCC community members on a donation basis. Rabbi Kerry can inform you as to an appropriate donation for that particular ritual in the Los Angeles area. 

Get in Touch

For non-urgent matters, such as B mitzvahs or weddings, please email Rabbi Kerry at rabbikerry@sijcc.net.

For emergency matters such as end-of-life services or funerals within 48 hours, please call or text our Executive Director Heather McPherson at 818-652-3969.