EssenceSheets

ROSH H. ODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING!

FAST FACTSThe Jewish calendar is tied to the cycles of the moonand sun.

Rosh H. odesh literally means “Head of the Month.”It refers to the start of the new month.

Each Jewish month has either twenty-nine orthirty days. Rosh H. odesh is a two-day holidaywhen the previous month contains thirty days —the last day of the old month and the first day of the new one.

In ancient times, before the Jewish calendar was fixed, the sighting of the New Moon actually determined when a new month would begin. By law, the new month began when at least two witnesses observed the first sliver of the moon and reportedwhat they saw to the court in Jerusalem.

The news of the New Moon’s appearance was communicated fromJerusalem to Jewish communities throughout Israel and the world byhilltop fires.

In the days of the first and second Temples (1000 BCE–70 CE), peopleoffered special sacrifices, blew horns and recorders made out of silver,and ate festive meals on Rosh H.odesh.

Since ancient times, people say special prayers in synagogue, both onRosh H.odesh and on the Shabbat before it, called Shabbat Mevareh.im(Sabbath of Blessing).

Fasting and mourning are forbidden on Rosh H.odesh.

According to legend, Rosh H.odesh was given to the women of Israelbecause they refused to be involved in the creation of an idol. Theydidn’t give their jewelry to make the golden calf, although later they did give generously to the building of the mishkan (portable temple).Because of their righteousness, the women were excused from workingon Rosh H.odesh.

Recently, Rosh H.odesh observance has been revived among womenacross the country. Women meet monthly, often in one another’s homes,to share, learn, and connect with each other and their heritage incelebration of the new month.

Opening Month

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Rosh H.odesh in Poetry

The moon now glides toward darkness,

toward rest.

She retreats in order to emerge whole.

She quiets

in order to

return and fill night

with light.

So too shall we

make a space for ourselves.

A space for renewal.

—Vicki Hollander

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Excerpted from "AnOpening Ceremony" by Vicki Hollander, published in FourCenturies of JewishWomen's Spirituality: A Sourcebook, EllenM. Umansky andDianne Ashton, eds.(Boston: Beacon,1992). © 1992 VickiHollander. Used bypermission of theauthor. All rightsreserved.

ROSH H. ODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING!

1. As noted by Arthur I. Waskow in Seasons of Our Joy: A ModernGuide to JewishFestivals, 3rd ed. (NewYork: Beacon Press,1990), preface xx.

FAST FACTSTraditionally, Rosh H. odesh is not observed in Tishrey. Because RoshHashanah, which falls on the first of Tishrey, is considered moreimportant, we celebrate the new year instead of the new month.According to tradition, Rosh Hashanah marks the anniversary of thecreation of the world.

Tishrey marks the beginning of the solar year on the Jewish calendar,but it is the seventh month in the Jewish lunar cycle, which beginswith the month of Nisan. In telling us to observe Rosh Hashanah, theTorah says, “In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, youshall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated withloud blasts” (Lev. 23:32).

Tishrey comes at the same time as the secular months September/October.

Tishrey contains the fall equinox. As the seasons change from summer tofall, we also seek changes in our lives. We hope that our journey is alsocolorful and bright.

The mazal (constellation) for Tishrey is Libra, moznayim (a pair of scales),symbolizing scales of justice.

Tishrey overflows with holy days that usher in the Jewish New Year. Thefour main holidays of Tishrey correspond to the four phases of the moon.1

FEATURESRosh HashanahRosh Hashanah (The New Year) is observed onRosh H. odesh Tishrey. The Torah refers to RoshHashanah as Yom Teruah (The Day of Sounding theShofar) and Yom Hazikaron (The Day of Remembering). It was notcalled Rosh Hashanah until talmudic times (200–600 CE). Traditionally, it is a two-day holiday; however, many Reform communities celebrateRosh Hashanah for only one day. It is the only holiday that Jews in theLand of Israel celebrate for two days.

Rosh Hashanah CustomsShofar reflects one of the names of the Holy Day (Yom Teruah). Blownone hundred times on each day of Rosh Hashanah (except, in manycongregations, when Rosh Hashanah falls on Shabbat), the shofar calls all Jews together and stirs us to bring out the best in ourselves. One ofmany traditions says that the shofar blasts represent Sarah’s cries whenshe learned that Abraham planned to sacrifice Isaac. Sarah’s cries recallwomen’s cries for justice for themselves and for their families throughouthistory and all over the world.

Essence of Tishrey

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Tashlih. (You will cast away) is a custom dating from at least as early as the fourteenth century. It is based on the last verses of the Book of Micah: “And You will cast into the depths of the sea all their sins” (7:19).Jewish communities have for many generations gathered by rivers, streams,or oceans on the first day of Rosh Hashanah, recited tashlih. prayers, andthrown bread crumbs into the water to symbolize our desire to rid ourselvesof our sins. Kurdish Jews actually threw themselves into the water fortashlih.! H. asidim of Galicia sent straw floats out into the water, used candlesto set them on fire, and rejoiced as they burned up or washed away.2

Greetings Traditionally, during the month of Elul and on Rosh Hashanah,we greet one another:(to a woman)

Leshanah tovah tikatevi veteyh.atemi.May you be written and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year.

(to a man)

Leshanah tovah tikateyv veteyh.ateym. May you be written and sealed (in the Book of Life) for a good year.

Tzom Gedalyah Tzom Gedalyah (Fast of Gedalyah) is observed on the third day ofTishrey. It is a dawn-to-dusk fast to commemorate the assassination of Gedalyah Ben Achikam, the last Jewish Governor of Israel before theJews were driven into exile by the Babylonians in the sixth century BCE.

Aseret Yemey TeshuvahAseret Yemey Teshuvah (Ten Days of Teshuvah) are observed betweenRosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. During these ten days we focus onteshuvah (literally ‘turning’—turning away from our negative actions and toward our best selves), tefillah (prayer), and tzedakah (acts ofjustice/charity).

Yom KippurYom Kippur (Day of Atonement) is observed on the tenth day of Tishrey,as the moon swells. Through the process of teshuvah, Yom Kippur ismeant to bring Jews closer to God, to other people, and to being the best people we can be.

Yom Kippur CustomsFasting from food and drink, as well as the other abstentions observed on this day (not anointing ourselves, not wearing leather, not havingsexual relations), is meant to guide our thoughts away from our physicalneeds and help focus our minds on spiritual growth and teshuvah.Tradition urges us to be reminded by the fast of those who lack basicsustenance. Many communities donate the amount of money they wouldhave spent to feed themselves on Yom Kippur to organizations that feedthe hungry. (Please note that pregnant women, the infirm, children underthe age of twelve or thirteen, and anyone who might be harmed by doingso, are prohibited from fasting.)

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Refraining from wearing leather is meant to guide us away frommaterialism, because leather is considered a sign of luxury.

SukkotSukkot (Booths) begins on the full moon on the 15th of Tishrey andcontinues through the 21st of Tishrey. The holiday commemorates boththe temporary dwellings (sukkot) of the Jews during their forty years ofwandering in the desert and the later pilgrimage festival, during whichportions of the harvest were brought to the Temple in Jerusalem.

Sukkot comes just five days after Yom Kippur. Only after we haveaccomplished the challenging spiritual work of Yom Kippur, can we be truly joyous on Sukkot. Just as we celebrate the fall harvest, we cancelebrate the fruits of our spiritual labor. In fact, Sukkot is called ZemanSimh.ateynu (Season of our Rejoicing). Sukkot commemorates howprotective clouds surrounded the Jewish people during the forty years of wandering in the desert. It also commemorates how the Jews lived in temporary dwellings (sukkot) during that same time.

Sukkot CustomsBy building a Sukkah, we commemorate the ancient desert booths(temporary dwelling places). Many havethe custom of eating all of their mealsduring Sukkot in their sukkah, and somesay daily prayers and sleep there as well.Marking the harvest festival, it iscustomary to decorate the sukkahfestively with greens, fruits, andvegetables of the season.

Waving a Lulav and EtrogWe use four symbolic plant species for special rituals to invoke God’s

salvation during Sukkot. The etrog, a bitter citus fruit, is heldtogether with a lulav, fronds of palm, willow and myrtle branches,and is waved in six directions (north, south, east, west, up, and

down) during the recitation of Hallel (psalms of praise). It isalso carried during Hoshanot (chanting processions insynagogue). In ancient times, the lulav and etrog were

important Jewish national symbols, often depicted on coins with theTemple menorah and a shofar.

Welcoming Spiritual Guests It is customary to symbolically inviteancestors to join us for a meal in our sukkah! According to the mysticaltext the Zohar, “When you sit in the sukkah…the Shechinah (God’sfeminine indwelling presence) spreads its wings over you and…Abraham,five other righteous ones, and King David, make their dwelling withyou.…Thus you should rejoice with a shining countenance each andevery day of the festival, together with these guests who lodge with you”(Zohar Emor 103b).

From this verse, Jewish mystics in the sixteenth century popularized thecustom of symbolically inviting seven biblical characters as ushpizin(guests) into their sukkot over the seven nights of the holiday. Traditions

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inviting biblical women, or ushpizot (feminine plural of ‘ushpizin’), intothe sukkah also exist. According to sixteenth-century mystic ManachemAzariah, the seven female figures to welcome are the seven prophetesses:Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah, and Esther. Othertraditions include Rebecca, Rachel, and Leah.3

Hoshanah Rabbah is observed on the 21st of Tishrey, the seventh andlast day of Sukkot. Hoshanah Rabbah is known as the day of the finalsealing of judgment, which began on Rosh Hashanah.

Shemini Atzeret Shemini Atzeret is observed on the 22nd of Tishrey, as the moon wanes.Shemini Atzeret begins the period in the year in which it is customary tosay a special prayer praising God as the Source of the Blessing of Rain.

Simchat Torah Simchat Torah is observed on the 23rd of Tishrey in someJewish communities in the Diaspora, and on the 22nd ofTishrey in Israel and in some Reform and Reconstructionistcommunities. Simchat Torah celebrates the completion andthe beginning of the annual cycle of Torah readings. On thenight preceding Simchat Torah, and again in the morning,Jews all over the world dance joyously with the Torah.

FABULOUS FEMALESThe High Holy Day Torah portions for communities that celebrate RoshHashanah for two days are Genesis 21 and 22. Some Reform communitiesthat celebrate Rosh Hashanah for one day read Genesis 1, focusing on thetheme of creation. The haftarot (prophetic readings) are I Samuel 1:1–2:10on the first day and Jeremiah 31:1–19 on the second. The Fabulous Femalesof Tishrey come from these readings.

Sarah Imeynu (our foremother) is the first matriarch of the Jewishpeople. She is celebrated for her courage in leaving her homeland for anunknown future, as well as for her beauty, her hospitality, her laughter,and her ability to rejoice at hearing she would have a child at the matureage of ninety (Genesis: 12–23).

Sarah reminds us to honor the wisdom, struggles, creativity, and joys of our women elders.

Hagar is an Egyptian woman who became Sarah’s handmaiden andAbraham’s concubine. She is the mother of Ishmael and hence thegrandmother of the Ishmaelites; Muslims consider her their firstMatriarch. When pregnant with Ishmael, Hagar fled into the desert to escape Sarah’s jealous mistreatment. An angel appeared to her,bearing God’s promise that she would be the mother of a great nationand telling her to name her son Ishmael (God-heeds). In turn, Hagarcalled God “El Ro’i” (The One Who Sees Me). Years later, when theywere expelled into the desert by Sarah and Abraham, God both saw andheeded Hagar and Ishmael—providing them with a sustaining well ofwater (Genesis: 16–21).

3. Information drawn in part fromwww.ritualwell.org, a project of Ma’yan: The Jewish Women’sProject, a program ofthe JCC in Manhattan,and Kolot: The Centerfor Jewish Women’s andGender Studies. Searchthis website under“Holidays” for “Sukkot”for more informationabout the seven biblicalwomen and for a won-derful model ushpizotceremony.

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Hagar reminds us to honor our shared ancestry with Muslims. Herexperiences call upon us to show solidarity with women and girlswho are denied power, whose voices are silenced, and whose manystrengths are often unacknowledged.

Lilith first appears in Jewish tradition in midrash (stories that interpret theTorah). Because the Torah has two versions of the creation of humanbeings (one in Genesis 1:26-28, the other in Genesis 2:18-24), the rabbisimagined that two different women were created—the first Lilith, thesecond Eve. According to tradition, because Lilith was created in God’simage simultaneously with Adam (Genesis 1), she claimed that she wasequal to him. When Adam disagreed, Lilith left the Garden of Eden foreternity. The legend of Lilith has been expanded upon and transformedover centuries. Although Lilith has often been demonized in these traditions,today she has been popularized by some Jewish women who celebrate herfor her bold, independent spirit.

Lilith can remind us to celebrate our individuality, to find ways to enhance women’s status in Jewish life, and to fight forequality for women worldwide.

Eve, whose name in Hebrew, H. ava, means “Life,” is the first woman andthe mother of all human life. In the Garden of Eden, God tells Adam thathe and Eve must not eat from two trees—the Tree of Life and the Tree ofthe Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam, in turn, tells Eve that she mustnot even touch the trees. The Snake can easily prove that no harm cancome of touching the tree, so Eve is persuaded that no harm can come ofeating the fruit either. Adam also eats of the fruit, and when confrontedby God, immediately blames Eve! Eve is often accused of bringing aboutthe resulting expulsion from the Garden, but scholar Ellen Frankelchallenges us to imagine how different the story might have been if Godhad spoken to Eve directly.4 Today, women can celebrate Eve for hercuriosity and passionate pursuit of knowledge (Genesis: 2–4).

Eve reminds us to love and respect life, to accept the consequences of our choices, and to make the best of our fate.

Hannah is one of two co-wives to a man named Elkanah. Filled withgrief because she is unable to bear children, Hannah “pours her soul outto God” in prayer. When she eventually has a child, Hannah offers a songof praise to God. The rabbis admired Hannah for the heartfelt sincerity of her prayer and held her up as a model of piety. Today, we also admireher for the self-knowledge and courage to identify and ask for what shewanted (I Samuel: 1–2).

Hannah reminds us to pursue our passions and goals with all of ourheart, soul, and might.

Peninah is Hannah’s co-wife who bore two sons to Elkanah. Peninahmocked the barren Hannah, whom Elkanah loved most in spite of herchildlessness (I Samuel: 1).

Even as we may wish that Peninah had appreciated her own blessingsand avoided jealousy, she invites our empathy and compassion.

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4. See Ellen Frankel’s The Five Books ofMiriam: A Woman’sCommentary on theTorah (New York:Putnam, 1996).

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5. Ibid. Search under“Holidays” for “RoshHashanah” for a discussion of this and other RoshHashanah foods.

FOODSThere are many delicious and unusual food customs forRosh Hashanah. Many families have the custom of eatinga new food or one they have not eaten in the past year.For this reason, foods unique to the season, such asConcord grapes, are found on many Rosh Hashanah tables. Inaddition to eating apples and challah dipped in honey to symbolizeour wish for a sweet new year, many foods that are eaten as simanim(good omens) of success and happiness for the coming year. The followingare only a few of the Rosh Hashanah specialties eaten by Jews in differentparts of the world. Try inventing and serving your own!

The head of a fish In the coming year, we hope to always be “ontop” like a head, and not “on bottom” like a tail!

Pomegranates In the coming year, we want to be as full of gooddeeds as the pomegranate is full of seeds.

Carrots Sliced carrots represent golden coins, symbolizingour wish for secure parnasah (economic sustenance). In Yiddish, the word for carrots is meren, which can alsomean “more.” In the coming year we want to have moreblessings, more knowledge, give more charity, and performmore good deeds.

Pumpkin or gourd Food made with pumpkin or gourd isserved to express the hope that, just as this vegetable isprotected by a thick covering, God will protect us and gird us withstrength. The Hebrew word for pumpkin or gourd is kra’a. Sefardim punon this word and say “Yikaru lefaneh.a zeh.uyoteynu” (May our gooddeeds be called out before the Lord at the time of judgment). Similarly,we may pun in English, “May the coming year grow as a gourd infullness of blessing. In the year to come, if enemies gird (surround) us,may You guard us as we eat of this gourd.”5

Traditional Rachel’sTomb on the road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem

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ROSH H. ODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING!

FAST FACTSH. eshvan is the eighth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

H. eshvan comes at the same time as the secular months ofOctober/November. Pumpkins, squash, and gourds have arrived,reminding us of the cycle of planting and harvesting. Nature begins tohibernate and, mirroring this process, we too slow down and turn inward.

The mazal (constellation) for H. eshvan is Scorpio, akrav (the scorpion).

FEATURESH. eshvan is often referred to as mar H.eshvan, “bitter” H. eshvan, because the month contains no holy days and because it often coincides with the arrival of colder weather. Mar can also mean a drop of water. According to a midrash (a story that interprets the Torah), more rain falls in “watery H. eshvan” because it marks the beginning of the great flood during the time of Noah. We can also think of H. eshvan as a quiet time to reap thebenefits of the spiritual growth of the preceding month of Tishrey.

FABULOUS FEMALESH. eshvan contains the yahrzeits (annual commemoration of a person’sdeath) of many important women in Jewish history, including RachelImeynu, Emma Lazarus, Hannah Senesh, and Anzia Yezierska.

Rachel Imeynu (our foremother), along with her sister, Leah, and theirhandmaidens, Bilhah and Zilpah, gave birth to the twelve sons who were to become the fathers of the twelve tribes of Israel. Deeply loved by her husband, Jacob, Rachel, like her son Joseph, is celebrated for her remarkable beauty. And like Sarah, Rachel was barren for manyyears. Ultimately she accomplished her goal of childbearing through her courage and persistence. Sadly, Rachel died in childbirth with hersecond son, Benjamin.

Tradition teaches that Rachel died on the 11th of H. eshvan and that she is buried in Kever Rah.el (Rachel’s Tomb), outside of Bethlehem, whereshe is said to weep for all of us, her children. In some communities, women make pilgrimages to Rachel’s tomb and sayspecial prayers for fertility and childbearing.

Our foremother Rachel is rememberedfor her compassion, perseverance, and devotion.

Essence of H.eshvan

Poet Emma Lazarus (1849–1887) wrote the famous sonnet welcomingnew immigrants to America that is engraved on the Statue of Liberty.Lazarus’s paternal ancestors were among the first twenty-three Jews tosettle in New York in 1654. Her yahrzeit is the 19th of H. eshvan.

Emma Lazarus teaches us to welcome people from all backgrounds, to help those less fortunate than ourselves, and to pursue our artisticpassions.

Author, Zionist, and war hero Hannah Senesh (1921–1944) was born inHungary and made aliyah (immigrated) to Palestine. Senesh was capturedand executed while courageously trying to save Hungarian Jews from theNazis. Her numerous poems and stories are widely published. Her yahrzeitis the 20th of H. eshvan.

Hannah Senesh’s poem Halih.ah Lekeysaryah became popularized as thelyrics to the song Eli, Eli.

Eli, Eli she lo yigamer le’olam—hah. ol vehayam, rishrush shel hamayim,berak hashamayim, tefilat ha’adam.

My God, my God, I pray that these things never end—the sand and the sea, the rush of the waters,the crash of the heavens, the prayer of the heart.

Hannah Senesh is a model of bravery and righteousness whoseallegiance to the Jewish people and Israel surpassed everything else in her life.

Author Anzia Yezierska (1883–1970) wrote novels and short stories thatvividly depict immigrant life in New York’s Lower East Side. Her yahrzeitis the 22nd of H. eshvan. Her most famous book, The Bread Givers, takesus inside an early twentieth-century American immigrant Jewish family inwhich Sarah, the narrator, struggles to find fulfillment through education,work, and love.

Anzia Yezierska teaches us about the power of observation and the joys of storytelling.

FOODSThere are no holidays in H. eshvan, so there aren’t anyspecific foods associated with the month. We suggesteating local produce of the season, such as squash,zucchini, and apples. Zucchini bread, pumpkinseeds, pumpkin pie, apple cider, and applepie are also great H. eshvan treats!

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ROSH H. ODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING!

FAST FACTSKislev is the ninth of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Kislev comes at the same time as the secular months of November/Decem-ber. This is a cold and dark time of year. Nature rests, and winter is upon us.

The mazal (constellation) for Kislev is Sagittarius, the keshet (arching bow).

The arching bow reminds us of the rainbow and of our responsibility to be guardians of the earth. In Genesis 9:12–17, God places a rainbow in thesky as a covenantal sign, indicating a promise never to destroy the earthagain. (The blessing for seeing a rainbow is: We bless you, Eternal our God,who remembers the covenant and keeps faith with the covenant, foreveraccording to your word.) The bow of Kislev reminds us of the bows of theMaccabees who fought against the Selucids in the story of H. anukkah.

FEATURES

H. anukkahH. anukkah* begins on the 25th of Kislev and ends in Tevet. This is theonly Jewish holiday that spans two different Jewish months!

H. anukkah HistoryDuring the second-century BCE, the Jews, led by the Maccabees, foughtagainst Antiochus and his Selucid (Syrian Greek) army. Antiochus had apolicy of stifling Jewish religious life, including the banning of Shabbatobservance and circumcision. Eventually, the Jews were victorious andreclaimed their religious life. The story is told that to purify the Temple,which the Selucids had defiled, the Jews needed oil to rekindle theeternal flame. A legend tells us that they found only enough oil to lastone day, but a miracle occurred, and the oil lasted for eight days. Thus, the Temple was rededicated. H.anukkah means“dedication.”

H. anukkah CustomsLighting the h.anukiah (the specialeight-candle flame menorah, with aninth shamash, or servant flame).

Telling the story of Judith Among theSefardim (Jews from Mediterranean/Arabiccountries), women traditionally gather on theseventh night to tell the story of Judith, the smart and beautiful womanwho used her faith and wits to defeat the Assyrian army. They eat cheesedishes, sing and dance, and receive special blessings. Some Ashkenazim(Jews from northern and eastern European countries) used to tell thestory of Judith in Yiddish on the eighth night of H. anukkah.

Essence of Kislev

* H.anukkah is the onlyimportant festival in the Jewish calendar not mentioned any-where in the Tanah.(Hebrew Bible). Thestory is recorded in the two ancient books, known as The First Book of the Maccabees and The Second Book of the Maccabees,which are part of the Apocrypha—workswritten or collected atthe same time as mostbooks of the Bible butnot included in theHebrew biblical canon.

ïֵוòְלîִסּכ

êָלñַזמ

ûֶתֶקׁש

îָהóֻּכëַנח

äַמעס)ñָׁש (ׁשאûַּמׁש

Kislev

mazal, constellation

keshet, bow

H. anukkah

shamash (Yiddish: shammmes)

© 2002, Margot L. Stein.Used by permission of the author. All rightsreserved.

Giving gifts to daughters Some Sefardim call the end of H. anukkah the“New Moon of the Daughters,” and parents give special presents to theirdaughters.

Playing dreydel is a classic H. anukkah gambling game. The letters on the four-sided spinning top—nun, gimmel, hay, shin—stand for a Hebrewsentence that translates to mean, “A great miracle happened there.” Somesay that the origins of the game are German, and that the letterscorrespond to the directions for playing the game: nichts (“nothing”);ganz (take “all”); halb (take “half”); and stell ein (“put one in”).

Eating chocolate H. anukkah gelt (coins).

FABULOUS FEMALESHannah The Second Book of the Maccabees records cases of pious Jewswho chose to die rather than submit to the Syrian Greeks. A celebratedmother, Hannah, expressed unfaltering faith in God as she was forced to watch her seven sons die for refusing to bow to an idol, and then was killed herself.

Hannah’s martyrdom raises the issue of supreme sacrifice for religion. We might ask ourselves where we would draw that line today. Hannahalso calls upon us to hold in our hearts those mothers in every generationwho must give up their children to war. We are reminded in particularabout mothers in Israel today.

The Four “Women of Light”1

According to legend...

Sarah Imeynu (our foremother) lit candles at the beginning of Shabbat.Miraculously, the flame burned throughout the entire week, lighting thetents of Abraham and Isaac.

Rebecca Imeynu inherited the task of lighting these candles when Sarahdied. Because Rebecca was also a righteous woman, her candlelightshined throughout the entire week, as Sarah’s had.

Queen Esther was known as the Ayelet Hashah. ar (the morning star) whobrought a bright, rekindled spirit to the Jews after the dark night ofsuffering at the time of King Ahashuaros.

Deborah was a wise and important judge who lived in the twelfthcentury BCE. In the Torah, Deborah is referred to as the “Woman ofLapidot.” In Hebrew, lapid means torch or flame, and so the Talmudrefers to Deborah as a “woman of flames.” A contemporary midrashteaches that Deborah made candlewicks that lit before fire ever touchedthem; the candles were illuminated from the light inside of Deborah,which grew as she grew.2

The Four “Women of Light” remind us that each one of us can share herlight without diminishing it. They also invite us to remember the femaleancestors in our own families every time we light the Shabbat andH. anukkah candles.

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© 2002, Margot L. Stein.Used by permission of the author. All rightsreserved.

FOODSSalty foods, especially salty cheeses, are traditional because legend has it that Judith fed the enemy general Holofernes salty foods to make himthirsty for wine. As he lay in a drunken stupor, she was able to slay him,thus saving Jerusalem from siege.

Because of the miracle of the oil, oily foods are also traditional, includinglatkes and sufganiot (jelly doughnuts), which are a H. anukkah favorite in Israel.

AND

Margot L. Stein

Bring some light into the darkness

Bring some darkness to the light

As we dance among the shadows

Flickering in black and white

All things dark are not just evil

All things light are not just fine

Can we learn to bless our difference?

God in your face, God in mine.

DARKLIGHT

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*Penina V. Adelman,Miriam's Well (New York:Biblio Press, 1986), 41.

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ROSH H. ODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING!

FAST FACTSTevet is the tenth of twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Tevet comes at the same time as the secular months December/January.

Tevet begins with the last days of H. anukkah.

The mazal (constellation) for Tevet is the gedi (goat).

“The goat works its way slowly, laboriously up the mountain of winter.Though the path is treacherous, the goat never slips or falls. Sure-footed,firmly centered in the earth, the creature eventually reaches the summit.”*As winter deepens, and darkness arrives early, we remember that we toocan reach summits of joy—even in darkness.

FEATURES H. anukkah concludes on the second of Tevet, thus completing therededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.

Places of prayer, such as the Temple in Jerusalem, the mishkan (theportable tabernacle that preceded the Temple), and synagogues, havealways been highly prized in Jewish life. Jewish mystics teach that thebody is like a temple—a dwelling-place of God and of our soul. Just as we mourn the defilement of the Temple by those who did not see it as adwelling-place of God, so we lament the harmful ways in which wemistreat our bodies when we forget that they house our souls. The Hebrewword H. anukkah means “dedication.” Just as we celebrate the rededicationof the Temple, so we affirm our own rededication and commitment torespectful treatment of our bodies, the temples of our souls.

Philo, a Jewish philosopher (20 BCE-50 CE), said it this way: “The bodyis the soul’s house. Shouldn’t we therefore take care of our house so thatit will not fall into ruin?”

The 10th of Tevet This minor fast on the 10th of Tevet commemorates the siege of Jerusalem on that day in 589 BCE by the Babylonian KingNebuchadnezzar, which ultimately led to the destruction of the firstTemple and the exile of the Jews to Babylonia.

With the founding of the State of Israel in 1948, the 10th of Tevet wasdeclared Yom Hakadish Haklali (General Day of Kaddish) to provide anopportunity to say the Kaddish (prayer for the dead) for those who diedin the Holocaust whose precise date of death was unknown. Some haveadopted the custom of mourning all those whose date of death isunknown on this day, including victims of war, genocide, or accidents.Yom Hakadish Haklali reflects Judaism’s deliberate effort to help us honoreveryone in our past. As we think about those who have come before us,we are inspired to live a life worthy of their memory.

Essence of Tevet

FABULOUS FEMALES In Tevet we honor all Jewish women who came before us, particularlythose whose lives and deaths went unrecorded.

FOODS This month dedicate yourself to treating your body like a holy temple.Honor your body by improving your eating habits: try avoiding non-nutritious foods, eating extra fresh fruits and vegetables, and drinking lotsof water.

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Praying with the Mothers

Paula Mack Drill

My God

and God of my mother who praised y’hai sh’mai loudly and off-key

and of my nana who gave thanks with mandelbrot mailed cross country

and of my grandma who knew gratitude at her silver and crystal yontif table

and of my great-grandma who requested redemption, raising seven with

a man whose heart had died

and of my great great grandmother who sought shelter, hiding her daughter

in a haystack outside of Riga

and of all my mothers whose stories I do not know except in my veins

where they tell themselves

And of all those matriarchs linked arm in arm back through history. . . .

Sarah was the rst to receive God as a guest in her tent.

Out of kindness she served,

But it is the serving that got remembered.

So, God!

When I rise to

acknowledge that You work through history—

My God, I must remember my mothers with my fathers.

My God,

And God of all my mothers

who brought me to this moment—I acknowledge you.

When I stand

You stand with me.

©2003 Paula Mack Drill.Used by permission.All rights reserved.

FAST FACTSShevat is the eleventh of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Shevat comes at the same time as the secular months January/February.Days begin to grow longer, and the sun shines a bit brighter. In Israel,spring begins in Shevat. Deep underground, the roots of trees slowlywind their way toward water. High above our heads, branches stretchtoward the brightening sun.

In Israel, almond trees begin to blossom in Shevat. Because they are thefirst to bloom each Shevat and the nut resembles an eye, an almond tree iscalled shaked (watcher). Almond trees are said to “keep watch” for spring.

The mazal (constellation) for Shevat is Aquarius, deli (a vessel filled with water). Miriam (Moses’ and Aaron’s sister) was also associated with water. Legend teaches that because of her righteousness, Miriamwas followed by a mysterious well that sustained the Israelites during the years of the desert wandering. The well, filled with the waters ofCreation, is still with us today.

In Shevat, Jews take special care to fulfill our obligation to protect and preserve the environment.

FEATURESShabbat ShirahShabbat Shirah (The Sabbath of Song) falls on the Shabbat inShevat when we read the Torah portion Beshalach (Exodus13:17-17:16), which contains Shirat Hayam (The Song of theSea). Moses sang this song after crossing the Reed Sea. Afterward,Miriam led the women in singing their own Shirat Hayam as they dancedand played tambourines to celebrate their freedom. The haftarah (propheticreading) for Shabbat Shirah (See “Fabulous Females”) is the story of thewise judge Deborah (Judges 4:4-5:31) and the heroic woman Yael.

Shabbat Shirah CustomsIn recent years, women have written English songs about Miriam and hersong. Today, many communities celebrate Shabbat Shirah with concerts,sing-ins, or extra singing during Shabbat services.

Tu BeshevatTu Beshevat (The 15th of Shevat) comes at the same time as the fullmoon and marks the New Year for the Trees. During Temple times, TuBeshevat was something like an ancient tax day. Any fruit that ripenedbefore the 15th of Shevat was taxed as the last year’s crop; anything thatripened after the 15th counted as next year’s crop. These taxes, moreaccurately called tithes, went toward maintaining the Temple.

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Tu Beshevat CustomsHolding a Tu Beshevat seder.1 In the sixteenth century, the mystics ofSefat (a town in Northern Israel) became interested in Tu Beshevat as away to celebrate nature. They created a Tu Beshevat seder and made upprayers that enhance our appreciation for trees and fruits. The seder ismodeled on the Passover seder and involves drinking four cups of wineand eating up to fifteen different fruits! Today there are many beautifuland creative Tu Beshevat seders available in print.

Planting trees. In the late nineteenth century, the growing Jewishsettlements in Palestine found planting trees to be a crucial part ofrestoring the land. From that time until today, Jews allover the world collect money for planting trees in Israel.

Enhancing awareness about and protection of theenvironment.2 On Tu Beshevat, we should make an extraeffort to learn about important environmental issues andrecommit ourselves to protecting and nurturing our world.

Contemplating “The Tree of Life.” The Torah is often referred toas Etz H. aim, “The Tree of Life.” What does this metaphor mean to you?

Etz h. ayim hi lamah. azikim bah vetomh. eha me’ushar. Derah. eha darh. ey no’am veh. ol netivoteha shalom.

It is a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it and whoever holds onto itis happy. Its ways are pleasant and all its paths are peaceful.

Proverbs 3:17-18

FABULOUS FEMALESTorah, Women, and TreesScholar Penina Adelman reminds us that important biblical women havenames signifying trees. Another name for Esther is Hadassah, from hadas,meaning myrtle; Tamar [the name of Judah’s wife (Genesis 38:6), KingDavid’s daughter (II Samuel 13:1), and Absalom’s daughter (II Samuel14:27)], means date palm tree. The judge Deborah heard cases whilesitting under Tamar Devorah, Deborah’s date palm tree. The alon bachut,“weeping tree,” stands where Rebecca’s nurse, another woman namedDeborah, died. Adelman also points out that Etz H. ayim (The Tree of Life)is an important feminine symbol in Judaism. Women bear offspring, as theTorah bears wisdom, and trees bear fruit. A woman’s children are oftenreferred to as the “fruit of her womb.” In Shevat, we recognize thefabulous female connection to the life-giving cycles of nature.

The haftarah for Shabbat Shirah (See “Features”) is the story of the judgeDeborah (Judges 4:4-5:31) and Yael. It was selected because Deborah,like Miriam, sang a song in celebration of God’s miracles. These twowomen’s poems, scholars tell us, are among the oldest parts of theHebrew Bible.

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1. For wonderful materi-als on Tu Beshevat,including how to leadyour own seder, seeEllen Bernstein, Ecology& The Jewish Spirit:Where Nature and theSacred Meet (Vermont:Jewish Lights, 1998)and Ari Elon, NaomiHyman, and ArthurWaskow, eds., Trees,Earth, and Torah: A Tu B’Shvat Anthology(Philadelphia, PA: Jewish PublicationSociety, 1999).2. For more informationon Judaism andEcology, see EllenBernstein and DanFink’s Let The EarthTeach You Torah(Washington, DC:Shomrei Adamah,1992).

Deborah, one of the Women of Light we read about in Kislev, is the onlyfemale judge named in the Torah. She was wise and fair. Deborah satunder her date palm tree and decided cases for the Israelites. Once,Deborah—who was also a prophet—urged the Israelites into battle,informing them that God had commanded it and would see to it thatthey would come out victorious “by the hand of a woman.” When thebattle was indeed won, Deborah sang a victory song.

Deborah inspires us to act fairly, cultivate wisdom, and pursue justice.Deborah’s success as a judge—an occupation that in her day wasdominated by men—reminds us that women can do anything.

Yael was instrumental in the Israelites’ obtaining the victory that Deborahhad prophesied. When she encountered the enemy king, Yael invited himinto her tent. She fed him milk to make him drowsy. When he fell asleep,Yael made sure he would never wake again by driving a tent peg throughhis temple.

Yael, like Judith of Kislev, inspires our praise for her show of couragein a situation of great danger. At the same time, her rather gruesomestory reminds us of the evils of battle and should motivate us to do all we can to rid the world of war.

FOODSThe Tu Beshevat seder is filled with delicious and healthy fruits. Why notenjoy them throughout the month?

In the Tu Beshevat seder, fruits are divided into three groups:

• fruits with insides we can eat and outsides that we can’t eat.Some examples are bananas, pomegranates, almonds, and oranges.

• fruits with outsides we can eat and hard pits inside, which we can’teat. Some examples are olives, dates, cherries, and avocados.

• fruits that we can eat inside and out.Some examples are seedless grapes, figs, and carobs.

Each of these groups can be thought of as different types of peopleor different moods we might experience. Some people, for example,have a hard, tough shell but are soft-hearted; other people can seemto be very easy going but they have a lot of inner resolve and conviction.Try thinking about these distinctions and see what you come up with. You can also invent distinctions of your own.

Red and white grape juices are also important parts of the Tu Beshevatseder. At the seder, white juice or wine is served as the first cup,symbolizing winter, when seeds are still dormant. Next comes white wineor juice with a dash of red, symbolizing spring and hinting at the seeds’reawakening and the coming of colorful flowers. The third cup is filledwith red wine or juice with a dash of white, symbolizing summer whenfruits and vegetables grow freely, and we are reminded of the richness oflife. Last comes a cup full of red wine or juice, symbolizing autumn, whenwe celebrate fully the fruits of the harvest season. This is a good month todrink juices and appreciate how delicious and healthful fruits are.

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FAST FACTSAdar is unique in the Jewish calendar because someyears contain two Adars.

Most calendars used throughout the world are solar(based on the rotation of the earth around the sun), sothat they are aligned with agricultural seasons. The Muslim calendar isbased solely on the moon, which is most useful for a nomadic culture.The Jewish calendar is unusual in being based on both the sun and themoon, blending the needs of agricultural and nomadic peoples. But thesolar year and lunar year are not even in length. The annual cycle of themoon around the earth takes 354 days and the annual cycle of the eartharound the sun takes 365. So, seven of the nineteen years in the cycle ofthe Jewish calendar are designated as “leap years,” in which a “leapmonth” is added to compensate for the difference and “even them out.”

During leap years we add an extra Adar before the regular Adar. We call this extra month Adar I, and the regular Adar becomes Adar II.Therefore, when there are two Adars, Purim falls in Adar II.

Adar is the twelfth month of the Jewish calendar, but on leap years, Adar I is the twelfth and Adar II is the thirteenth month.

Adar I comes at the same time as the secular months February/March.We can think of Adar I as a hidden month, revealed only when we need it, to set the calendar straight! Similarly, in the natural world, many things hidden are coming to light. Hints of spring, until now hiddenbeneath the snow, begin to show themselves. We wonder when the firstflowers will come out of their hiding place.

Adar (no leap year) and Adar II (leap year) come at the same time as thesecular months March/April. “It’s early spring. The brown…trees ofwinter have put on gleaming costumes of bright green…People act a littlecrazy—shedding heavy clothes while there is still a chill in the air,laughing a little wildly when there is no reason….”1 We’ve gotten giddy;we’ve caught spring fever.

Because Purim falls in Adar, both Adarsare the happiest, most joyous months of the Hebrew calendar. Adar’s motto is

Mishenih.nas Adar marbim besimh.ah.

When Adar arrives, joy increases.

—Talmud, Taanit 29a

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1. Arthur I. Waskow,Seasons of Our Joy: A Modern Guide to Jewish Festivals, 3rd ed.(New York: Beacon Press,1990), 115.

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The mazal (constellation) for Adar is Pisces, dagim (fish).

Living in the vast, deep ocean, fish are the creaturesof a “hidden world.” During Purim, Queen Esthersaved the day by revealing her Jewish identity to theking. We can imagine that Esther’s true identity wasstill hidden like a fish under water.

Jews have been compared to fish swimming in an ocean of Torah. In Adar or Adar II, we splashhappily in one of the most joyous stories of the Bible.

FEATURESPurimPurim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar (or Adar II in a leap year).Falling on the full moon, it comes one month after Tu Beshevat and onemonth before Passover. Purim marks the day the Jews celebrated theirvictory over Haman and his cohort. Because the Jews of the walled cityof Sushan fought against their enemies for an extra day, they observedPurim on the 15th of Adar. The rabbis decreed that all cities that werewalled at the time of Joshua should observe Purim on the 15th as well.This rule is applied only to Jerusalem, where “Shushan Purim” isobserved on the 15th to this day.

The story of Purim is told in Megilat Ester, The Book of Esther, one oftwo books of the Bible to bear a woman’s name. (The other is Ruth.) The Hebrew Bible is often referred to by Jews as the Tanah. , after theinitial letters of its three parts: Torah (Five Books of Moses), Nevi’im(Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings). Megilat Ester is found in Ketuvim.

Purim is one of the few Jewish holidays celebrating the talents, courage,and dedication of a woman. The story begins when Queen Vashti isbanished for refusing to entertain the king’s guests, and Esther is chosenin a beauty contest to be the new queen.2 Haman, the evil courtier, getspromoted to grand vizier, but Mordeh. ai, Esther’s uncle, refuses to bowdown to him.3 Haman decides to take revenge on Mordeh. ai and on all the Jews. He convinces the foolish King Ahasuerus (Ah.ashverosh) to callfor the massacre of all the Jews throughout the kingdom. Purim means“lots,” referring to the fact that Haman picked lots to decide preciselywhen to kill the Jews. Mordeh. ai and Esther devise a plan to foil Haman’sevil plot. Esther courageously approaches the king and invites him to aseries of parties in Haman’s honor. At the third party, Esther wines anddines the king, reveals that she is Jewish, and pleads for the life of herpeople.4 Haman is hanged, and the Jews are saved.5

Ta’anit Ester (The Fast of Esther) is a minor fast day that is traditionallyobserved from dawn until dusk of the day before Purim (13th of Adar).Ta’anit Ester commemorates the fast that the Jews of Shushan observed at Esther’s request as she prepared to approach the king on their behalf(see Esther 4:16). Today, some people use the occasion of Ta’anit Ester tolearn about contemporary forms of injustice around our world, especiallythe oppression of women.

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Purim CustomsReading Megilat Ester (The Scroll of Esther) The most well-knownPurim observance is the public reading of the Purim story that is recordedin Megilat Ester. During the reading and the ceremonies that surround it,regular synagogue decorum is suspended. Instead, people dress incostumes, eat and drink to their fill (see Esther 9:22), and make noiseswith gragers (rattles) or other noisemakers whenever Haman’s name isread, in order to fulfill the injunction Yimah. shemo—may his name beerased (or drowned out).

Purim Se’udah (Festive Meal) This celebration recalls both the royalfestivities that set the story of Esther in motion and the first injunction at the conclusion of the tale, in verse 9:22, which says that after the Jewswere saved from destruction, “They were to observe [the days they weresaved] as days of feasting and gladness….”

Matanot Le’evyonim (Giving to the Underprivileged) Purim provides a special opportunity to share our good fortune with those in need.Traditionally, gifts of money or food are given on the day of Purim itself,and can be given directly, for example, by bringing clothing or cannedgoods to a homeless shelter, or indirectly, by donating to a charity. Purimcelebrates the gift of our very lives. We express gratitude for our lives byhelping others to live. On Purim, we share our joy by inviting others tojoin the party!

Mishloah. Manot (Sending Gifts To Friends) Observing this mitzvahcan be a simple or elaborate process. Traditionally, people puttogether a plate or bag of at least two kinds of ready-to-eat food(say, hamantaschen and an apple, or a muffin and a handful of nuts) and send them to at least two different people. Sending food to friends reminds us of the miracle of our daily sustenance and of the physical survival of the Jewish community. By contrast withthe obligation to give to the needy, this custom is about sustaining

friendship. It connects our personal celebration with those close to us.Plus, it’s a lot of fun to give and get all kinds of cookies and snacksthroughout the day!

These dual traditions of giving gifts of food to friends andto the poor are based on the second part of verse 9:22,“…and as a time for sending gifts to one anotherand giving presents to the poor.”

FABULOUS FEMALESDinah. Beginning in the second century CE, thetwelve calendar months were associated with thetwelve tribes of Israel. Adar II is an additional, 13thmonth, which some traditions associate with Dinah, Leah’s onlydaughter, the sister of the twelve brothers who led the twelve tribes.

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6. This and additionalPurim foodways information is found in Teaching JewishHolidays: History, Values,and Activities by RobertGoodman (Denver: A.R.E.Publishing, 1997), 138.

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Dinah’s story is complicated, and we know little about it. One day she goes out to meet the women of the local Hivite town and ends upentangled with one of the men of the place. Some traditions say thatDinah chose freely to spend time with this man; the Torah implies that he imposed himself on her by force. The Torah does not record Dinah’sown thoughts and feelings on the matter, and so we are left to speculate.

Dinah’s story reminds us to be careful and to make good choices inpotentially dangerous situations. At the same time, it is very importantto understand that when someone is the victim of a crime as he or shewas simply going about freely, the victim is innocent. When we orsomeone we care about are hurt, we tend to wish that the victim haddone something differently so she would not have come in harm’s way.But we must remember that the one harmed is not in any way at fault.

Queen Vashti. Queen Vashti showed tremendous bravery when sherefused to entertain her husband’s guests at his command. Although we can’t be sure what it was that Queen Vashti found objectionableabout the king’s request, scholars speculate that the king wanted her to show off her beauty in ways that she felt were inappropriate anddisrespectful. Although the king banished Vashti for her chutzpah, we admire her for it and seek to emulate it in our own lives.

Queen Vashti inspires us to proudly say “no” to things that make usfeel uncomfortable or unsafe, or that challenge our sense of self-respectand well-being, even if doing so makes us temporarily unpopular. We canthink of Vashti as being with us in those moments when we need someextra support in saying “no.”

Queen Esther. Although Esther’s looks won her a place in the palace, it was her intelligence and bravery that saved the Jewish people and won her a place in Jewish history and in our hearts.

Queen Esther inspires us to speak out on our own behalf whenevernecessary, to take measured risks for causes we believe in, and to useboth our intuition and intellect when making important decisions thataffect our lives and the lives of those we love.

FOODSEnjoying a festive meal is one of the mitzvot of Purim, explained above.

Hamantaschen are the best-known traditional food for Purim. Thesetriangular cookies, filled with poppy seeds, fruit, cheese or prune jam,are said to represent the three-cornered hat or three-cornered pocket of the villain Haman. In Israel, hamantaschen are called ozney Haman(Haman’s ears).

Some Sefardi Jews have a custom of wrapping hard-boiled eggs in pastrydough in the shape of an animal or a Purim character. These folares arebaked, displayed, and later eaten as a Purim treat.

Bean dishes, such as hummus, are also eaten to remind us that,according to legend, Esther ate a vegetarian diet while in the court, in order to avoid eating non-kosher food.6

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FAST FACTSNisan is the first month of the Jewish calendar.

Nisan comes at the same time as the secular months March/April.

The mazal (constellation) for Nisan is Aries, the taleh (ram).

Nisan has two additional names. The Torah calls Nisan H.odesh Harishon(The First Month). Because the Israelites left Egypt in Nisan, it is the“first month” in the life of the Israelites as a free people. The Torah refersto the other months as second, third, etc., in relation to Nisan. The Torahalso calls Nisan H.odesh Ha’aviv (The Month of Spring) because spring(aviv) arrives in Nisan.

In Hebrew, Nisan may be related to the word nitzan, which means“bud.” Nisan marks the birth of spring, signaled by the arrival of newbuds and the birth of the Israelite nation. Physical and spiritual seeds areplanted in Nisan—seeds for the summer crop and seeds of freedom andliberation.

Miriam, the Prophet, the sister of Moses andAaron, is said to have died on the 10th of Nisan.

Rosh H. odesh Nisan is a special Rosh H. odesh for three reasons:

• On Rosh H. odesh Nisan, the Israelites received thecommandment to sanctify the New Moon. This was the first commandment we received as a free nation.

• According to midrash, the mishkan (the temporarysanctuary that the Israelites used as they wandered in the desert and in the Land of Israel before Solomonbuilt the first Temple) was inaugurated on RoshH. odesh Nisan. (Bamidbar Raba, Chapter 13)

• Because Nisan is the first of the twelve months, Rosh H. odesh Nisan is considered the New Year for the Months.

FEATURESPesach Pesach (Passover) begins on the 15th of Nisan and continues for seven days,through the 21st of Nisan, although many Diaspora communities celebrate it for eight days.1 The Hebrew word Pesach literally means “pass over.” Theholiday of Passover gets its name from the Exodus story: Prior to the tenthplague, God commanded the Israelites to smear blood from a sacrificiallamb on the doorposts of their homes. God then “passed over” the Israelitehomes and took the lives of the Egyptian firstborn sons only.

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1. Our presentation of Passover and Passovercustoms draws heavilyfrom Michael Strassfeld, The Jewish Holidays: A Guide & Commentary(New York: Harper and Row, 1985), 5-9.

Essence of Nisan

The holiday Passover has several names: H. ag Ha’aviv (The Holiday ofSpring); Zeman H. eyruteynu (The Season of our Liberation), because itcelebrates the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery; and H. agHamatzot (The Holiday of the Unleavened Bread), because in the urgencyof the Exodus, the bread dough did not have time to rise.

The story of Passover begins in slavery and ends in freedom. It celebratesthe faith and courage of the Israelites who left their homes in Egypt andset out for the unknown. On Passover, we anticipate the time when allJews and all peoples will be free.

Passover CustomsRefraining from eating or owning h.ametz (leavened bread). The Torahstates, “On the very first day, you shall remove leaven from your houses,for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day to the seventh day, thatperson shall be cut off from Israel” (Exodus 12:15). It is customary to ridour homes of h.ametz during the weeks before Passover and to hold a finalsearch for any remaining h.ametz on the night before Passover. The nextmorning, we burn whatever h.ametz remains and renounce ownership ofany h.ametz we might have overlooked. Removing h.ametz can symbolizeour liberating ourselves from anything that holds us back from the pursuitof freedom for ourselves and for all peoples. We recommend that if you rid your home of h.ametz, donate it to a local food bank.

Giving Ma’ot H. itim (Wheat Money). Many people give tzedakah toJewish communal funds before Passover so that the poor may obtainmatzah and celebrate Pesach fully.

Participating in seders. On the first night of Passover, it is customary to gather in families or groups for a seder. In the Diaspora, traditionalfamilies also hold a seder on the second night. In Hebrew, seder simplymeans “order.” The Passover seder includes rituals arranged in a particularorder designed to help us relive the Passover story. Both the rituals andthe story of Passover are described in detail in the hagadah, the liturgical

text we read together at the seder.

The seder includes rituals such as eating matzah and maror (bitterherbs), drinking four cups of wine or grape juice, singing songs,

dipping greens into salt water, and eating a meal. These ritualsremind us both of the bitterness of slavery and the sweetness

of liberation. The ritual of the Four Questions in whichchildren ask, “Why is this night different from all othernights?” highlights the importance Judaism places onpassing down traditions from generation to generation.The ritual of removing one drop of wine or juice from ourcups for every plague suffered by the Egyptians

emphasizes the Jewish value that we should never rejoicein the suffering of others, even our enemies.

The seder uses many different symbols of spring and of slavery andliberation to tell the story, including wine, matzah, and the objects on the seder plate—h. aroset (a sweet paste that reminds us of mortar), freshgreens, a roasted egg, a roasted shank bone (or symbolic equivalent), and bitter herbs.

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Adding to the hagadah. In recent years, new symbols have been addedat some seders, including:

• an additional ceremonial “Matzah of Hope” to remind us of Jews still living under repressive governments;

• an orange on the seder plate to signify women taking new, fulfillingroles in Jewish communal life; and

• special objects to increase awareness of the role of Miriam and otherwomen in the Exodus:

Tambourines. After the miracle of the waters parting when the Israelites crossed the sea, the Torah says: “And Miriam theprophet, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and allthe women went out after her with timbrels, dancing” (Exodus15:20). Some families include tambourines on their seder tablesfor use during the songs and rituals of the seder.

Kos Miriam (Miriam’s Cup) is a new ritual object forthe seder table that has been introduced to remind usof women’s important role in redemption. Just as Elijah’s Cup, filled with wine, expressesour hope for peace in a Messianic future, Miriam’s Cup,filled with spring water, expressesour gratitude for the miracles of the past and present. The waterreminds us of the river beside which Miriam watched Moses, the Red Sea beside which she danced, and the legendary wellthat accompanied her in the desert.

Many hagadot have also added special prayers for the liberation of still-repressed people (such as for African-Americans in the 1960s, for SovietJews during the 1970s and 1980s, or for Jews remaining in Ethiopiatoday) and to celebrate the heroism of freedom fighters (such as duringthe uprising of the Warsaw Ghetto, or Nelson Mandela’s campaign forequality in South Africa). As one example, in 1944, the Jews in theconcentration camp of Bergen-Belsen had no matzah for Pesach. Underthe circumstances, the rabbis among them decided that eating leavenedbread was permissible and that they should recite the following kavanahbefore meals during Passover:

Our Father in Heaven, behold, it is evident and known to you that it is our desire to do your will and to celebrate the Festival of Pesach by eating matzah and by observing the prohibition ofhametz. But our hearts are pained that the enslavement preventsus from eating matzah, and we are in danger of our lives. Behold,we are ready to fulfill your commandment: ‘And you shall live bythem and not die by them.’ Therefore, our prayer to you is that youmay keep us alive and save us and rescue us speedily so that wemay observe your commandments and do your will and serve youwith a perfect heart. Amen.2

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d. 2. Joy Levitt and MichaelStrassfeld, A Night ofQuestions: A PassoverHaggadah (Elkins Park,PA: The ReconstructionistPress, 2000), 111.

Saving the Afikomen. There is a folk tradition that the afikomen (a pieceof matzah saved at the beginning of the seder for dessert) is an amuletfor good luck. Some people save a piece of it for the entire year as areminder that the work of liberation is not finished.

Reciting Shir Hashirim. (The Song of Songs). Manycommunities recite Shir Hashirim either after the sederor before the Torah reading on the Shabbat that fallsduring Passover. The traditional interpretation of ShirHashirim is that it is a love song between God and

Israel and thus it is especially appropriate to recite it onPassover, “which might be viewed as the onset of the love

affair between God and Israel which culminates fifty dayslater in” their symbolic marriage on Shavuot.3 Shir Hashirim is filled withimages of spring and nature and first love, all of which arefitting for H. ag Ha’aviv (The Holiday of Spring—Passover).

Counting the Omer. In Leviticus, the third book of theTorah, it says, “You shall count…from the day that youbrought the omer as a wave offering” (23:15). The omerwas a measure of barley that Jews brought as an offeringto the Temple on the second day of Passover. The Bibletells us to count forty-nine days from the bringing of theomer until the eve of Shavuot. Although we no longerbring barley to the Temple, these seven weeks are stillknown as “the Omer,” and the ritual of counting eachnight is known as “Counting the Omer.”

The kabbalists (Jewish mystics) saw the Omer as a time for preparingourselves to receive Torah on Shavuot by reflecting on one’s personalqualities. They taught that during each week of the Omer we shouldmeditate on a different spiritual quality. The kabbalists associated eachspiritual quality with a color and with a part of the body. Later thinkersassociated each quality with a woman from Jewish history.

Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial Day)Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) was established by the Israeligovernment on the 27th of Nisan to commemorate the Holocaust and itsvictims. In Israel, banks, schools, most businesses and theaters, and otherplaces of entertainment are closed on this day. Memorial services are heldin Israel and across the globe.

FABULOUS FEMALESShifra and Puah were the Hebrew midwives whose heroism begins the Exodus story. Although the Torah does not record Shifra and Puah’sown words, a contemporary women’s hagadah imagines their thoughts:“We, Shifra and Puah, were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt. We were alsomidwives and respected leaders in our community. When Pharaohdecreed that we put all baby boys to death, we were not able to comply.For we felt the mighty hand of God in our outstretched arms as wehelped bring Israelite infants into the world.”4

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4. The Journey Continues:The Ma’yan PassoverHaggadah, Tamar R.Cohen, ed., a publicationof Ma’yan: The JewishWomen’s Project, a program of the JewishCommunity Center of Manhattan, 56.

Shifra and Puah remind us that the big changes that improve the livesof multitudes begin with the small, brave actions of the few. Each one of us has an important part to play in the redemption of theJewish people and of the world.

Jochebed was the courageous and loving mother of Miriam, Moses,and Aaron. When Moses was born, Jochebed risked her life to save himfrom Pharaoh’s decree to kill all the male Hebrew newborns. Jochebed hidMoses in her home for three months, and then when she could hide himno longer, she placed him in a basket and sent it afloat in the Nile river.

Jochebed reminds us of the risks and sacrifices that mothers make fortheir children in every generation. As we imagine her sending her sonaway to an unknown fate, she inspires our empathy for all mothers whowatch their children go on their way, sometimes to places of danger. May sheinspire us to express our gratitude for the dedication of our own mothers.

Pharaoh’s daughter was the brave and defiant Egyptian woman whorescued Moses from the Nile and raised him to adulthood. Although theTorah simply calls her Bat Paroh (Pharaoh’s daughter), the rabbis renamedher Batyah (Daughter of God). The classical midrashim (legends about theBible) suggest that although Moses was floating at a far-off distance fromBatyah, she was able to save him because God miraculously lengthenedher arm.

Pharaoh’s daughter teaches us that compassion transcends difference,that the value of life transcends all of our cultural boundaries, and that if we are alert to opportunity, we, too, might be lifesaving agents.

Miriam was the sister of Moses and Aaron. We first meet Miriam as shewatches over Moses, afloat in the basket his mother made for him. Whenshe sees Pharaoh’s daughter take Moses out of the Nile, Miriam, a mereslave, speaks to the princess and suggests that she get a Hebrew womanto nurse the baby. Never telling the princess about her own relationshipto Moses, Miriam arranges for Jochebed to become Moses’ wet-nurse.Miriam’s fearlessness and self-confidence at this early age indicatethe kind of woman she was to become.

The next time we meet Miriam, she is an adult, and she is leadingthe women in song and dance after passing through the partedsea. Here, she is called a nevi’ah (prophet, f.). Miriam hasbecome an important leader of her people; she plays a centralrole in founding the Israelite nation, in strengthening thepeople’s spirits, and in inspiring them to sing and rejoice.

We next encounter Miriam as she is again speaking out bravely,this time to reprimand her brother. The Torah says that Miriam, along withAaron, speaks out against Moses regarding his wife, and challenges hisleadership of the people, saying, “Has God not spoken through us as well?”Although God punishes Miriam with leprosy for her words against herbrother, the people remain her devoted followers. While Miriam lives outher seven-day punishment in seclusion, the entire nation pauses in itstravels through the desert, awaiting her return. They refuse to go anywherewithout Miriam. Later, when Miriam dies, the people mourn and the earthis dry.5

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5. See also Lori Hope Lefkovitz,“Miriam’s Leadership: A Reconstruction,” in The Women’s PassoverCompanion: Women’sReflections on the Festivalof Freedom, edited bySharon Cohen Anisfeld,Tara Mohr, and CatherineSpector (Woodstock, VT:Jewish Lights Publishing,2003), 113-119.

Miriam inspires us to have faith and courage in facing thecrucial moments in our own lives when we are challengedto take a stand or even just a step. She reminds us that weall have opportunities to bring joy to our lives and to thosearound us. Her example encourages us to participate in girls’and women’s community and find strength, support,and friendship among girls and women. Finally, shemodels women’s equality in leadership.

FOODSFoods from the seder can be delicious treats even after theseders. For example, try making a variety of h.aroset recipes throughoutthe month. Ashkenazi (Northern European) Jews commonly make h.aroset with apples, nuts, wine or juice, raisins, and spices. Sephardi(Mediterranean) recipes can include a range of ingredients, such asalmonds, dates, figs, bananas, and oranges. Matzah pizzas are often a favorite, as are macaroons of different flavors, shapes, and sizes.

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FAST FACTSIyar is the second of the twelve months of the Jewish calendar.

Iyar comes at the same time as the secular months April/May.

The mazal (constellation) for Iyar is Taurus, shor (the bull), an animalknown for its strength and determination. During Iyar, the seeds thatwere planted in Nisan are determinedly forcing their way through theearth toward the sun, from darkness to light. The Israelite people who left the darkness of Egypt are traveling toward the illumination of Sinai.

Iyar links the months of Nisan and Sivan through the counting of theOmer— the forty-nine days between the holidays of Passover and Shavuot.As we count the Omer, we experience our own growth and the growth of the Jewish people. In Nisan, we became a nation, born in the Exodusfrom Egypt. Iyar represents our adolescence as we struggle with ournewfound freedom to become a mature nation ready to receive the Torahin the month of Sivan.

In the Bible, the month of Iyar is called “Ziv,” meaning radiance.

The month of Iyar is commonly referred to as the month of natural healing,for its name is an acronym for Ani Adonay Rofeh.a—“I am God yourHealer” (Exodus 15:26).

Tradition teaches that the well that followed Miriam the prophet firstappeared during Iyar, as did manna, the food that sustained the ancientIsraelites during their desert journey. Miriam’s yahrzeit is observed on the10th of Iyar.

FEATURESYom HazikaronYom Hazikaron (Israel Defense Forces Memorial Day) is observed on the4th of Iyar. Many communities recite special memorial prayers on this day.

Yom Ha’atzma’utYom Ha’atzma’ut (Israel Independence Day) is observed on the 5th of Iyar.Yom Ha’atzma’ut commemorates the establishment of modern Israel onthis day in 1948. Many communities say special prayers of thanksgivingand hold celebratory feasts.

Lag Be’omerLag Be’omer (The 33rd Day of the Omer) falls on the 18th of Iyar. According to tradition, a plague afflicting many students of the great sageAkiba ceased on Lag Be’omer. Thus, the 18th of Iyar is a celebratory day onwhich joyous activities that are forbidden during the rest of the Omer periodare permitted. These activities include weddings, picnics, and haircuts.Many communities celebrate Lag Be’omer with bonfires and picnics.

ROSH H. ODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING!

Essence of Iyar

Yom YerushalayimYom Yerushalayim (Jerusalem Reunification Day) is observed on the28th of Iyar. This day commemorates the reunification of the city ofJerusalem in 1967.

Sefirat Ha’omer Sefirat Ha’omer (Counting the Omer). In Leviticus, the third book of theTorah, it says, “You shall count… from the day that you brought the omeras a wave offering” (23:15). The omer was a measure of barley that Jewsbrought as an offering to the Temple on the second day of Passover. TheBible tells us to count seven weeks from the bringing of the omer until theeve of Shavuot. Although we no longer bring barley to the Temple, theseforty-nine days are still known as “the Omer,” and the ritual of countingeach night is known as Sefirat Ha’omer (Counting the Omer).

The counting begins the second night of Pesach and continues untilShavuot, when we receive the Torah. By linking the theme of freedom to the acceptance of the Torah, the Omer reminds us that with freedomcomes the responsibility to give our lives meaning.

The kabbalists (Jewish mystics) saw the Omer as a period of preparingoneself to be ready and willing to accept the Torah by taking time to reflect on one’s personal qualities. They taught that during each week ofthe Omer we should meditate on a different spiritual quality. The kabbalistsassociated each spiritual quality with a color and a part of the body. Laterthinkers also associated each quality with a woman from Jewish history.

Color system developed by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, correlating the sefirot (characteristics) with the days of creation, in designing the P’nai Or Rainbow Tallit.

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Omer

FABULOUS FEMALESAll of the females associated with the Omer are fabulous. Since many ofthe women are featured in other months, we chose Rebecca, along withher nurse Deborah, as our Fabulous Females of Iyar. (This Deborah’snamesake—Deborah the Judge—is mentioned on the Omer chart.)

Rebecca is the second matriarch of the Jewish people. One day, whenRebecca was at her family well, a stranger approached and she rushed togive him and all of his camels enough water to drink. This stranger turnedout to be Abraham’s servant, Eliezar, who was on a mission to find a suit-able wife for Abraham’s son, Isaac. Upon Eliezar’s request, Rebecca consent-ed to marry Isaac. After a tearful goodbye in which she received her parents’blessing, Rebecca and her nurse Deborah left their homeland and went withEliezar to meet Isaac. It was love at first sight for both Rebecca and Isaac.

After twenty years of childless marriage, Rebecca became pregnant withtwins. She had a difficult pregnancy and cried out to God in pain. Godanswered her directly, a privilege granted no other woman in the HebrewBible, with the exception of Hagar. God told Rebecca that the twins werestruggling in her womb and that the “older was destined to serve theyounger,” an unusual situation in those times. Years later, Rebecca helpedher younger son Jacob trick his father into giving him the blessing duehis older brother so that God’s words would come true.

Rebecca inspires us to rush to give generously to those in need whosepaths cross our own. She also reminds us that God’s presence is with useven in the difficult times in our lives when we feel alone and in pain.

Deborah is Rebecca’s nurse. The Torah mentions this Deborah twice—when she goes with Rebecca to live with Isaac, and when she dies and isburied. Deborah is the only servant in the Bible whose death and burialare mentioned at all. Perhaps this signifies that Deborah was veryimportant to Rebecca. The only person who knew Rebecca throughoutRebecca’s life, Deborah must have been a beloved companion.

Deborah invites our admiration for her hard work and her devotion.She reminds us to honor and celebrate the lives and work of nurses andhealth care workers in our day.

FOODSSince manna was first given in Iyar, foods that represent manna arewonderful for this month. The Talmud says that manna tasted differentto different people: to young people, it tasted like bread; to elderlypeople, it tasted like oil (a delicacy in the desert); and to infants, ittasted like honey (Yoma 75b). In many Jewish communities, people eattwo challahs on Friday night to represent the double portion of mannathat the Israelites received on Friday nights so they would not have toforage for it on Shabbat (Exodus 16:22–25). In Iyar, try eating challah (or any other bread you enjoy) dipped in olive oil or honey.

Bottled spring water can remind us of Miriam’s Well, which tradition saysmade its first appearance in Iyar.

It’s also a great idea to eat Middle Eastern foods, such as falafel, humus,and Israeli salad, in honor of Israel’s Independence Day.

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ROSH H. ODESH: IT’S A GIRL THING!

FAST FACTS Sivan is the third month of the Jewish calendar.

Sivan comes at the same time as the secular months May/June.

The mazal (constellation) for Sivan is Gemini, the te’omim (twins). We can think of the twins as symbolizing the two “tablets of thecovenant” given to Moses during the month of Sivan.

Tradition teaches that on Rosh H. odesh Sivan, the Israelites camped at the foot of Mount Sinai waiting to receive the Torah (Exodus 19:6). The Hebrew verb used for “camped” in Exodus 19:6 is in the singular. It is taught that at the moment the Israelites determined to receive theTorah, they were united in heart and mind as a single person. Sivan’ssymbol of the twins—two distinct human beings sharing one womb—can represent the harmony that comes when people celebrate theirdifferences while coming together to work for a common higher goal,such as receiving and following the Torah.

FEATURES ShavuotShavuot (The Feast of Weeks) falls on the sixth day of Sivan (and onthe seventh of Sivan for those Diaspora communities that observe twodays). In biblical times, Shavuot marked the end of the grain harvest(which began with the bringing of the Omer on Pesach), and was calledH. ag Hakatzir (The Harvest Holiday). The ritual ushering in the newagricultural season—the bringing of the first fruits of the land to theTemple—was also celebrated on Shavuot. From this practice, Shavuot gets the name H. ag Habikurim (The Holiday of the First Fruits).

With the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE, Shavuot’s association withagricultural rites diminished. The rabbis began to connect Shavuot withthe Revelation on Mount Sinai, which, according to the Torah, took placein Sivan. Today, Shavuot celebrates the giving and receiving of the Torah.

Shavuot Customs Studying Torah all night long. To stay up the entire (first) night of Shavuotstudying Torah is a kabbalistic tradition, coming from the sixteenth-centurymystics of Safed. Known as Tikun Leyl Shavuot (“Tikun” means “repair”;“leyl” means “night of”), this all-night study session is an opportunity torecommit ourselves to the study of Torah. Tradition teaches that the skiesopen during this night for a brief moment, and God favorably answers allprayers. The kabbalists also thought of Shavuot as the moment when Godand Israel wed; the Torah is the ketubah (marriage contract) or writtenaffirmation of the covenant between them.

Essence of Sivan

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Excerpted from Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures(Philadelphia: JewishPublication Society, 1988).©1988 The JewishPublication Society.Used with permission of The Jewish PublicationSociety. All rights reserved.

Chanting the Ten Commandments. On Shavuot, it is customary to chantthe Ten Commandments with a special trop (tune). The Ten Command-ments are found in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, with minor differences.Here is the version from Deuteronomy:

I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt,the house of bondage: You shall have no other gods beside Me.

You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, any likeness ofwhat is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the watersbelow the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them….

You shall not swear falsely by the name of the Lord your God….

Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy….

Honor your father and your mother….

You shall not murder.

You shall not commit adultery.

You shall not steal.

You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not crave yourneighbor’s house, or his field…or anything that is your neighbor’s.

(Deuteronomy 5:6–18)

Reading Megilat Rut (The Book of Ruth). Megilat Rut tells a story of a relationship of great love, loyalty, and devotion that develops betweenthe two heroines of the story, Naomi and her daughter-in-law Ruth. It iscustomary among Ashkenazi (Northern European) Jews to read MegilatRut during the morning services of Shavuot, because—

• Like Shavuot, Ruth’s story takes place during harvest time.

• Ruth converts to Judaism, which is similar to our acceptance of the Torah on Shavuot.

• Tradition teaches that King David, Ruth’s great-great-grandson,was born and died on Shavuot.

Decorating the synagogue and our homes with roses and fragrantgreenery. This custom derives from many different midrashim (legends)connecting the events at Sinai to spices and roses. One midrash says that aseach commandment was given, the world filled with the fragrance of spices.

Eating Torah (well, not exactly!). In many European towns, youngchildren were first introduced to the Torah and Hebrew on Shavuot. It was customary to dab honey on the tablets upon which Hebrew letterswere written; as their teachers taught, the children would lick the honey.Passages from the Torah were also written on honey cakes and eggs.When the lessons were finished, the children were given the cake andeggs to eat. The cake was made with a lot of honey and milk, as it iswritten: “Honey and milk are under your tongue” (Shir Hashirim 11:4).

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Confirmation: affirming our commitments. In keeping with theemphasis on learning and on accepting the Torah on Shavuot, manysynagogues hold confirmation ceremonies on Shavuot.

FABULOUS FEMALES This month’s fabulous females are Naomi and Ruth,whom we read about in Megilat Rut. Naomi and herfamily flee a famine in Bethlehem to the enemyterritory of Moab. There, Naomi’s sons marry Moabitewomen, Ruth and Orpah. After Naomi’s husband andsons die and the famine has lifted in the Land ofIsrael, Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. DespiteNaomi’s protests, Ruth joins her, committing herself toNaomi and to the Jewish people. Ruth gleans for foodin the barley harvest, happening upon the field of thekind and generous Boaz, who is a distant relative ofNaomi. Boaz marries Ruth and they have a child whobecomes the ancestor of King David. Naomi loves hergrandson as if he were her own child, and she is takencare of in her old age.

Naomi endures many hardships in her life, moving from joy and abundanceto sorrow and emptiness and back to joyful abundance. Her story remindsus that when we let true friends accompany us, we can make it througheven the most painful turns in life’s journey.

May we learn from Naomi to accept the love that we are freely offered,trusting in our own worth.

Ruth inspires us to pursue Torah and Jewish learning and communitywith devotion and enthusiasm. Her story reveals that great things comewhen we follow our hearts and when we give love freely and fully.

We can learn from Naomi and Ruth’s story that even when thingsseem desperate, we should stay hopeful and keep trying.

FOODS It is customary to eat dairy foods on Shavuot. This custom may comefrom the verse in Shir Hashirim (Song of Songs): “Honey and milk areunder your tongue,” which can be understood as comparing the Torah

to the sweetness of milk and honey. Another traditional explanation for this custom is that when the Israelites first received the laws ofkashrut, they realized that all their clay pots were unkosher fromhaving been used to cook forbidden meats, and so they ate dairy food until they were able to make new pots. Try some new cheeses

on Shavuot, and indulge in cheesecake, ice cream, and other sweet andcreamy desserts!

Since Shavuot is a harvest festival, in Israel there is a tradition of eatingthe first fruits of the season. We invite you to do the same.

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