Rosh Hodesh Ideas from Myrna Hammerling

Here’s another occasion to add to your family’s portfolio of ways to celebrate being Jewish!  This one doesn’t come every week like Shabbat, but it does come every month.

In ancient times people sat on mountaintops near Jerusalem and watched the sky at the end of each month.  Upon seeing the first sliver of the new moon, they would race down the mountain to inform the rabbis of their sighting (two witnesses were required).  Torches would be lit on mountain top after mountain top to spread the word; trumpets or shofarim would be sounded.  In a pre-written calendar world, this is how the new month began in Israel.  To this day Jewish calendars note Rosh Chodesh (literally head of the month). 

When the new moon was confirmed, people would carefully count the days from that first night to identify important benchmarks, holidays and observances for the rest of that month.  The Jewish rhythm was established in this communal way.  As Jews moved away from Jerusalem over the centuries, and the identification of the new moon was not as accurately observed, we began to celebrate two-day holidays in the diaspora.  Even in Eastern Europe Rosh Chodesh was still a half-holiday from school for Jewish children and a holiday from work for women.

So how can we make this a celebratory opportunity for our families?  One way to celebrate is to have a special family dinner—either on erev Rosh Chodesh or during the next day’s lunch.  Festive meals, decorations appropriate for the month ahead, candles of special colors or scents, singing songs of the upcoming festival, and inviting friends are a few suggestions.  Eat a new fruit of the season and say the shehechiyanu; make crescent shaped rolls or cookies to resemble the moon; determine what to do with last month’s tzedakah collection.  Some families schedule their monthly family meetings at this time or give out monthly allowances.  Use your imaginations—there’s neither a fixed nor an incorrect way to celebrate!

In shul on the Shabbat before the new month called Shabbat Mevorchim, there are some specific variations.  The Ya-aleh v’yavo paragraph is added to the morning Amidah, the maftir (8^th) Torah reading comes from Numbers 28:9-15, Parashat Pinchas, the Haftarah for Rosh Chodesh is from Isaiah 66:1-24, and the Birchat HaChodesh is recited while holding the Torah before marching it back to the ark.  Next Shabbat, 11/6/10, you may even hear this last-mentioned prayer sung to the tune of Maoz Tsur as a foreshadowing of the arrival of Channukah later in the month.

Enjoy!

- Myrna