A fertile blessing indeed: Spiritual healing for infertility among Hasidic Jews in the USA and UK

Among Orthodox Jews, infertility raises issues about God’s role in conception and treatment decisions are always made in a Jewish legal framework. Orthodox Jewish couples who experience infertility often seek out rabbinic authorities for advice about advanced reproductive technologies and Halacha (Jewish law). This paper examines understandings and treatments of infertility among one group of Hasidic Jews-Lubavitch. While couples are familiar with physical causes of infertility, they generally attribute it to spiritual causes and frequently petition their leader for spiritual healing. The paper presents an analysis of narratives pertaining to infertility published by Lubavitch on the internet. These illustrate the role of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the experience of infertility. During his lifetime, Lubavitchers would traditionally write to the Rebbe or personally meet him at a ceremony called ‘Dollars’ to solicit a blessing for infertility. Following his death in 1994, his followers would visit, fax or e-mail his gravesite in the hope for a miracle. This practice persists until today. In terms of help-seeking for infertility, Lubavitch is fairly exceptional compared to other Ultra -Orthodox and Hasidic groups in its emphasis on repair of ritually impure religious artefacts to heal this issue. The Rebbe cites a close connection between the physical and spiritual worlds, ritually impure religious artefacts are held to relate to problems conceiving.