Moonbeams: A Hadassah Rosh Hodesh Guide - Softcover

Leora Tanenbaum; Claudia R. Chernov; Hadassah Tropper

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1580230997 ISBN 13: 9781580230995

Publisher: Jewish Lights, 2000

Synopsis

This hands-on "idea book" focuses on Rosh Hodesh, the festival of the new moon, as a source of spiritual growth for Jewish women. A complete sourcebook which will initiate or rejuvenate women's study groups, it is also perfect for women preparing for bat mitzvah, those seeking to expand their Jewish education, or for anyone interested in learning more about Rosh Hodesh observance and what it has to offer. Set up to guide readers through nine months of study and contemplation during each new moon, it can be used for spiritual exploring on your own, or as a group workbook. The study texts, discussion questions, outline of a Rosh Hodesh service, Bible readings, poetry, suggested readings, and more combine to offer readers a bounty of information for learning about and incorporating this inspiring part of Judaism into their lives. Selected Contents: • The History and Observance of Rosh Hodesh • Kippah, Tallit, and Tefillin • Claiming a Jewish Feminist Heritage • Ba'a lot Teshuvah • Women and Israeli Law • Women Rabbis

About this title

About the Author

Carol Diament, PhD is National Jewish Education Director at Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America.

Reviews

Rosh Hodesh, the celebration of the new moon, has been reinvigorated as a women's holiday in Judaism. For contemporary women who gather together for monthly prayer and spirituality, Diament's practical guide offers a specific nine-month course of study. The topics for each monthAmany tying in to the holidays that fall during that monthAcover an engrossing range of subjects: Jewish prayer garments, modesty, Jewish self-hatred, medical ethics, feminism, women and Israeli law, women rabbis and ba'alot teshuvah (women who "return" to Orthodox Judaism). Diament, national education director of Hadassah, the international women's Zionist organization, acknowledges that some of these issues carry more urgency among Orthodox women than among the book's intended non-Orthodox audience, but, she asserts, "many Jews view Orthodoxy as a world apart," and "it is important... to gain access to that world and better understand it." That, she concludes, will help readers acquire insight into their own Jewish practice and thought. Each section begins with a personal essay, followed by a multidimensional selection of texts from classic to contemporary, then questions and activities. Although this handbook is geared to groups that affiliate with Hadassah, it can provide direction for women's study groups of all kinds. (Sept.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This is an innovative guide to Jewish experience and practice for women, using the festival of the new moon as a springboard. Editor Diament, National Jewish Education director at Hadassah, has prepared an excellent volume of texts, discussion questions, services, and readings for women preparing for bat mitzvah or renewing their engagement with their Jewishness. The choice of readings is excellent, and the work is notable for centering its observations in ritual, which is crucial to the understanding of the Jewish tradition. For most collections where there is a strong interest in Judaism or feminism.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Jewish Lights
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1580230997
• ISBN 13: 9781580230995
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240
• Editor: Carol Diament