EXPLORING FAITH AS SISTERS JEWISH GROUP PULLS TOGETHER WOMEN'S SHABBAT, MEETINGS.Byline: Holly J. Andres Staff Writer WOODLAND HILLS - Eleanor Gross was so honored at being able to handle a Torah scroll To continuously move forward, backward or sideways through the text and images on screen or within a window. Scrolling implies continuous and smooth movement, a line, character or pixel at a time, as if the data were on a paper scroll being rolled behind the screen. See auto scroll. during a service on Yom Kippur Yom Kippur [Heb.,=day of atonement], in Judaism, the most sacred holy day, falling on the 10th day of the Jewish month of Tishri (usually late September or early October). It is a day of fasting and prayer for forgiveness for sins committed during the year. - the holiest day of the year for Jews Jews [from Judah], traditionally, descendants of Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, whose tribe, with that of his half brother Benjamin, made up the kingdom of Judah; historically, members of the worldwide community of adherents to Judaism. - she burst into tears on the bimah A bimah (among Ashkenazim, derived from Greek βῆμα) or tebah (among Sephardim) is the elevated area or platform in a Jewish synagogue which is intended to serve as the place where the person reading aloud from the . ``I was born and raised in west Philadelphia as an Orthodox Jew Jew Any person whose religion is Judaism. In a wider sense the term refers to any member of a worldwide ethnic and cultural group descended from the ancient Hebrews who traditionally practiced the Jewish religion. . When my family went to services, the men sat downstairs - my mom, sister and I sat upstairs with the other women,'' said Gross, co-president of the Sisterhood sisterhood: see monasticism. at Temple Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills. ``Women were not allowed on the bimah and not allowed to touch the Torah. I didn't question it. It was the way it was for me then.'' But with changing times, Sisterhood members at Temple Kol Tikvah hope their monthly Rosh Hodesh Noun 1. Rosh Hodesh - (Judaism) the beginning of each month in the Jewish calendar; marked by a special liturgy Rosh Chodesh Judaism - the monotheistic religion of the Jews having its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Torah and in the gathering and the annual Women's Shabbat service will allow others to find the same emotional and spiritual connection that Gross experienced. Gross will be among nearly 20 Sisterhood members to join Cantor Caren Glaser in leading original prayers and readings on the theme of ``Keeping the Holiness of Shabbat'' at the Friday service. ``We want to show that women in Judaism are just as important as men. We have the knowledge,'' Gross said. ``It makes me feel good to be up on the bimah presenting a reading or a prayer. I feel like I'm closer to God. The Women's Shabbat is a very emotional, warm and caring service.'' With the themes of peace, faith and healing, the Sisterhood members hope to show the Temple Kol Tikvah congregation that women can be leaders and teachers in their faith. ``There's such a spiritual bond when you can relate to another woman and experience new things together,'' said Donna Oran, co-president of the Sisterhood. ``The Women's Shabbat is a way to show that we all learn from each other and it's also a way to honor the hard work of Sisterhood members.'' The Sisterhood also explores the mystical and spiritual side of Judaism in its new moon or Rosh Hodesh - Hebrew for ``head of the month'' - gatherings at the temple on the third Wednesday of every month. Traditionally, Jewish women refrained from all work on the new moon. The recent trend for observing Rosh Hodesh every month is to get together with others to enjoy the company and discuss women's issues. ``We really get to talk and we're sharing Jewish stuff. Bring your daughters, aunts and mothers,'' Oran said. ``It's a nice way to get out of the house.'' Themes of each approximately two-hour Rosh Hodesh meeting are generally tied to an upcoming Jewish holiday
A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as a holy or secular commemoration of an important event in Jewish history. or a women's issue from a Jewish point of view. The meetings also usually feature a craft or project. Recent meetings have focused on writing a daily journal, a Tu B'Shevat Seder and a guest speaker on Jewish yoga yoga (yō`gə) [Skt.,=union], general term for spiritual disciplines in Hinduism, Buddhism, and throughout S Asia that are directed toward attaining higher consciousness and liberation from ignorance, suffering, and rebirth. . This Wednesday's meeting will focus on preparing for Passover and how to make a family heirloom, a timbrel timbrel: see tambourine. , to be used during a family Passover Seder The Passover Seder (Hebrew: סֵדֶר, seðɛɾ, "order", "arrangement") is a Jewish ritual feast held on the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover (the 15th day of Hebrew month of Nisan). or the Sisterhood's Women's Seder on April 5. ``Rosh Hodesh is a holiday for women and an opportunity to seize for yourself, access a part of yourself, that you may not know is there,'' said Kaileh Pistol, who has been the Rosh Hodesh programmer for about two years at Temple Kol Tikvah. ``It's really finding out about yourself.'' Rosh Hodesh meeting, 7:15 p.m. Wednesday; Women's Shabbat service, 7 p.m. Friday, Temple Kol Tikvah, 20400 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills. Reservations for the 6:30 p.m. April 5 Women's Passover Seder are due by March 27. Tickets $20, $15 for students through college, $12 for children 10 and under. Call (818) 348-0670, Ext. 219.713-3708 holly.andres(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Sisterhood co-Presidents Eleanor Gross, left, and Donna Oran and Kaileh Pistol bring a group of Jewish women together monthly at Temple Kol Tikvah in Woodland Hills. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer |
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