Rosh Chodesh Tevet and The Festival of the Daughters

We hear so much about Judah Maccabbee this time of year, but what about Judith? Did you know that in North African countries Jewish women celebrate the seventh night of Chanukah as Chag haBanot, or the Festival of the Daughters? Judith's night, which falls on the new moon of the Hebrew month of Tevet, was set aside to celebrate the new month and the heroine of the Book of Judith, who single-handedly saved her people by killing an enemy general. Although we do not know much about this holiday today, we do know that Judith frequently was depicted on medieval menorahs, as she represents female heroes throughout Jewish history.

This means that this month Rosh Chodesh is extra special since we have an entire Festival of Daughters to celebrate! For those of you who aren't familiar with Rosh Chodesh, it is the celebration of the beginning of each month in the Jewish lunar calendar, and has typically been observed as a celebration of women and femininity. There are several stories about how this came to be, one of which suggests that Rosh Chodesh was given to women as a reward for their refusal to worship a gold idol while Moses was receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai. According to Ritualwell.org, women were rewarded with the holiday for their independance and wisdom. During the Feminist Movement in the 1960's, Jewish women reinvigorated the holiday with new ideas as to how to celebrate the new month together.

As for Chag haBanot, traditionally, women from countries such as Algeria and Morocco celebrated the festival by visiting synagogues and praying for the health of their daughters, passing down inheritances and exchanging gifts, and singing and dancing. If women were arguing with a loved one, they were expected to settle the disagreement during Chag haBanot. Some women even celebrated the festival with a feast in which they served salty cheese to remind them of Judith's bravery (Judith encouraged the enemy general to eat salty cheese, so he would drink wine, so she could kill him once he passed out.) Today, there are many different ways women can celebrate the Festival of the Daughters - see this week's Spa Treatments below for some ideas.

I am fortunate that this holiday falls at a time when I had already planned to visit two of my best girl friends in Brooklyn. (Hanukkah is the celebration of oil lasting for eight days - this photo is the celebration of these jeans lasting for four straight weeks of constant wear when we were 15-years-old at summer camp). The three of us have been friends since we were teenagers, and I've always felt that with them, I could conquer the world. They are truly modern-day heroines that I'm fortunate to have in my life. And if our past girls-only weekends are any indication, we will definitely be doing some singing (most likely to the Indigo Girls, or James Taylor); we don't argue frequently, but if there are any disputes over which movie to watch or which spa treatment to choose I'm sure we can settle them. And we didn't plan on eating any salty cheese, but we will definitely be drinking wine! We'll have to have a drink for Judith, a fearless female whose courage we should all emulate.

Treatment of the Week: Celebrate Chag haBanot!

1) As suggested on Ritualwell.org, hold a special candle-lighting ceremony on the seventh night of Chanukah. Light one candle to honor Judith and other Jewish heroines throughout history; one for the female heroes you admire; one for your female teachers or spiritual leaders; one for your mothers and grandmothers; one for Jewish girls; one for your family; and one in in honor of the Shekhinah, the presence of G-d that is in every person, according to Jewish mystical tradition. (The Shekhinah is typically depicted as female).

2) Call, email or visit at least a few of the women above, or schedule some quality time to spend together.

3) Participate in one of the traditional celebrations of Chag haBanot by mending ties with a girlfriend, passing something treasured down to your daughter or neice, or giving a "just because" gift to someone you love.

4) Use Chag haBanot as a time to be thankful for the health of your female family and friends. Go to a spa together, take a walk, or cook a healthy dinner together.

Question of the Week: What are you and your female family and friends going to do to celebrate Rosh Chodesh and the Festival of Daughters this month?