N
ot that Jewish women need
an excuse to get together and
find inspiration but, if they
did, the celebration of a new Jewish
month offers such an opportunity
through a variety of Detroit-area
Rosh Chodesh groups.
“Participating in a Rosh Chodesh
group is a great way to ground your-
self once a month. Women are always
busy, often doing so much for others.
This is a unique opportunity to tap
into something reflective and mean-
ingful,” said Itty Shemtov, who runs
the Rosh Chodesh Society at The
Shul in West Bloomfield.
“One of the greatest things I find
about these gatherings is that during
every meeting there is that aha
moment where participants walk
away in awe over what’
s presented.
We could be discussing topics like
Purim, where everyone knows about
the holiday, or we could be talking
about something more obscure like
Jewish views on sleep; regardless of
the topic, there is always that time
where something really resonates.”
These women-only gatherings have
probably been done in some form
for centuries, according to Shemtov.
However, Rosh Chodesh groups real-
ly emerged in the 1960s and ’
70s, the
same time the women’
s movement
gained momentum.
According to biblical commentary,
Rosh Chodesh is a particularly spe-
cial day for women because while
Moses was on Mount Sinai receiving
the Ten Commandments, the women
refused to relinquish their jewelry for
the creation of the golden calf. God
rewarded them by making the start
of each new month a holiday where
they did not have to work. Some
explain that it’
s considered a holiday
for women because the waxing and
waning of the moon is connected to
a woman’
s menstrual cycle.
Regardless of the reason, the
celebration of Rosh Chodesh has
evolved to include a time for women
to meet regularly on or around the
start of a new month to learn and
explore themes related to women.
The emphasis of these get-togethers
is typically centered on spirituality,
Jewish ritual and celebrations.
GROUPS IN DETROIT
These groups are popular around the
globe and can be found in various
forms throughout Metro Detroit. Some
run under the auspice of congrega-
tions, others operate through Jewish
organizations, and a few are organized
and run independently by like-minded
women.
The Rosh Chodesh group at Adat
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills
started approximately six years ago as
a one-time women’
s event. However,
because it was so well received, it
evolved into a series of gatherings held
throughout the year.
Another began because the
Downtown Synagogue didn’
t have a
sisterhood and congregants wanted to
get women of different ages together
for discussions on Torah and relevant
women’
s issues. Although no longer
affiliated with the synagogue, the
group is in its eighth year.
The most significant expansion of
local groups began three years ago
when the first Rosh Chodesh Circle
was formed by The Well, an outreach
organization for young Jewish adults
in Metro Detroit. The Well now runs
nine groups, thanks to funding pro-
vided by a local donor and educational
material provided by, and often con-
fused with, an international organiza-
tion called At The Well.
These groups are a collection of
like-minded women “open to trying
new things and engaging more deeply
with spirituality, wellness and friend-
ship,” according to Avery Drongowski,
26, The Well’
s community manager.
Drongowski said The Well groups
are carefully put together based on a
variety of factors including partici-
pants’
shared interests, stages in life
and careers.
Simply stated, their model for put-
ting together groups is based on ask-
ing the question “could these women
end up being best friends,” according
to Drogowski. “Our goal is to make
strong, lasting relationships.”
Brooke Bendix, 34, of Detroit said
the Rosh Chodesh Circle has made a
positive impact in her life by creating
strong bonds with other like-minded
young Jewish women.
“Once a month, in the Jewish tra-
dition of Rosh Chodesh, our circle of
nine young women comes together
and re-connects on a more spiritual
level and that has been something
unique to be a part of,” Bendix said.
Rosh Chodesh groups, like Bendix’
s,
operating under the auspices of The
Well, rotate between participants’
homes where they gather for dinner
followed by a discussion related to the
monthly theme. It is up to the host to
use the materials provided by At The
Well and add her own spin when pre-
senting on the topic. Cooking demon-
strations, yoga sessions and art projects
are among some of the more hands-on
experiences groups have incorporated
in their get-togethers.
Participants say what makes these
groups work so well is the small sizes,
which allow the women to really get
to know each other and feel comfort-
able sharing deeper thought and ideas.
LEFT: Adat Shalom’
s Rosh Chodesh Study Group led by Rabbi Rachel Shere, left. RIGHT: A Rosh Chodesh Circle from The Well: Meredith Dahlen, Southfield; Connie Gaines, Royal Oak; Mariel Schartz, Detroit;
Lauren Rouff, Birmingham; Avery Drongowski, Madison Heights; Lauren Zeid, Birmingham; and Emiko Hayashi of Novi.
JERRY ZOLYNSKY
SUSIE STEINBERG
continued on page 12
jews d
in
the
on the cover
Time for
Renewal
Rosh Chodesh groups help connect women
for spiritual inspiration, friendships.
JEN LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
10 May 16 • 2019
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