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
“This superb compendium, edited by
Carol Diament, will surely meet the interest of female and
male, young and old, scholar and tyro, Jew and even non-Jew who
wishes to understand our uniqueness. Moonbeams can be used for
solitary study, with a partner, and with Rosh Hodesh groups.
Authors Tanenbaum, Chernov, and Tropper delve richly into
traditional sources and explore cutting edge issues…. Go
and study through Moonbeams, for you will emerge from the experience
more knowledgeable, more tolerant of denominational
differences, and more loving of our vast tradition than you
ever imagined.”
—Blu
Greenberg, author of On Women and Judaism and How to Run a
Traditional Jewish Household
“Hadassah’s approach combines
traditional Jewish learning, attention to particular
women’s issues, and the specific spiritual concerns that
animate many Jewish women in their lives and learning. This
rigorous course of study is highly accessible and engaging, and
can be used for Jewish learning on any level. Moonbeams’
collection of provocative texts can deepen the practice of
observing Rosh Hodesh among Jewish women, a practice we have
been privileged to see reborn and revitalized by our energies,
in our own time.”
—Vanessa
L. Ochs, author of Words on Fire, professor
of religious studies at University of Virginia,
Charlottesville, and editor of The
Sacred Day Series for CLAL
“An innovative Rosh Hodesh volume,
Moonbeams illuminates a rich range of Jewish laws and rituals
affecting modern women’s lives. Followed by probing
questions and useful program models, each chapter brings
together biblical and talmudic sources with contemporary
American and Israeli literary and legal texts to yield informed
perspectives. This valuable collection offers much material for
ongoing study of Jewish tradition and for serious
self-reflection.”
—Dr.
Emily S. Passow, member of the
English Department at Swarthmore College and member of the
Association of Jewish Studies