Rosh Hodesh

Crescent moon and stars in a colorful, cloudy sky blending green, blue, and yellow hues.

The first of each Jewish month—the celebration of the new moon, its slender crescent barely visible in the night sky—is a day historically associated with women’s renewal and celebration.

In recent decades, Rosh Chodesh has become an occasion for Jewish women to gather for learning, ritual, and spiritual exploration, and to mark life passages. Rosh Chodesh groups, meeting monthly, offer a women’s space in time. (Some men’s gatherings have begun as well, sometimes associated with kiddush levanah, celebrating the coming full moon.)

Latest Rituals

How to observe a modern and creative Rosh Chodesh as a private individual
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An article about ancient bonfires associated with the announcing of Rosh Chodesh, and modern rituals invoking them.
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A summary of facts, characters, and holidays related to the month of Sivan and Shavuot

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A summary of facts, characters, and holidays pertaining to the month of Kislev

Lit candles in a hanukiyyah, reflecting in a dark surface.

A summary of facts, rituals, and customs pertaining to the month of Nisan

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A Tu B’Shvat seder of fragrances for Rosh Hodesh Shevat

Glass with cinnamon sticks, dried orange slices, and sprigs of lavender on a dark surface.

An Israeli poet imagines a heavenly ledger filled with Earth’s beauty

a field of wildflowers
A summary of facts, characters, and holidays pertaining to the month of Shevat
a sprout emerges from dirt

A new ritual based on an older North-African custom celebrating women’s roles in the Chanukah story on Rosh Chodesh Tevet

A woman in a headscarf is embraced by a smiling young woman at home.

A short version of the story of the Book of Judith, and ideas for incorporating Judith and other women into the celebration of Hanukkah

Hands holding a Torah scroll wrapped in an ornate cover during a Jewish ceremony.

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