AUGUST 24 • 2023 | 39
The Rosh Hodesh Group of
Metro Detroit, organized by
Rabbi Dorit Edut and Sydney
Skully, held a couple of
interesting meetings recently.
In June, the group learned
about head coverings for
women from Zarinah
El-Amin of the Muslim
Center of Detroit. She had
organized a large-scale event
on this topic at the Suburban
Showplace in Novi, which
attracted Orthodox Jewish
women and Muslim women
prior to the pandemic.
The women in the Rosh
Hodesh group learned about
the different origins and
usage of these head coverings,
which are not only used for
issues of modesty for married
women, but as a means of
celebration and enhancing
beauty. It was lots of fun to
try on these various head
coverings and gain some new
perspectives on this shared
tradition in both Judaism and
Islam.
In July, the Rosh Hodesh
Group of Metro Detroit had
a special guest — 99-year-
old Harriet Berg — dancer,
choreographer, teacher and
former WSU professor who is
an icon of Jewish and secular
dance, performing all over
the world with her troupes
and individually. She spoke
about her life, how she began
dancing though her parents
opposed the idea initially, and
of her many famous friends
such as Isadora Duncan,
Martha Graham, Diego
Riviera and his wife, Frida
Kahlo, etc.
Even at this advanced age,
Harriet continues to teach
others dance in the senior
center where she lives — the
Allegria in Dearborn.
The Rosh Hodesh group
thoroughly enjoyed meeting
her and being inspired by her
life story.
Rosh Hodesh Group
Celebrates Women
LEFT: Standing; Rabbi Dorit Edut,
Sydney Skully, Barbara Shapiro,
Gar Sims-Jones; seated are
Harriet Berg and Susan Cohen.
Zarinah El-Amin
with Susan Cohen.
Sydney
Skully
Janet Meir
Zarinah El-Amin with
Sharon Curran