Rosh Chodesh: The Grounding Practice I Didn’t Know I Needed
By Emily Kahn-Perry
Emily Kahn-Perry is the Coordinator of Jewish Life & Wellness Programming, previously the Springboard Ezra Fellow, at Vanderbilt Hillel, a Jewish non-profit that works to make Judaism relevant to every student. Previously, Emily spent five summers on staff at URJ Camp Coleman, confirming her love for Jewish work. When she isn’t working, you can find her at one of Nashville’s many farmers’ markets, a spin class, or eating avocado toast.
One of the best pieces of advice I received while preparing to begin my job in the Jewish world was to find ways to be Jewish outside of work.
This was challenging for several reasons, between working late on Friday nights to overseeing holiday programming, navigating the wackiest schedule, and teaching Jewish texts to students weekly—the last thing I wanted to do in my free time was anything related to Judaism.
If I’m being honest, I’m constantly intimidated by Jewish learning, even as a Jewish educator.
I’ll let you in on a secret: I had seen a colleague post about Rosh Chodesh programming from time to time, but I had no idea what Rosh Chodesh was and honestly, I was too nervous to ask ANYONE. It was not until I discovered At The Well and used context clues to figure out that “Rosh” means head, so Rosh Chodesh must be some type of celebration or acknowledgment of a new Hebrew or lunar month.
“I quickly realized that At the Well combined the lunar calendar with wellness, a favorite topic of mine, opening a door for me to do exactly what I needed this summer: experience Jewish learning for myself.”
I signed up to start a Well Circle and was quickly connected with my amazing new friend Rae, who also shared an interest in starting a circle in Nashville. We were then connected with a Well Circle coach, Erika, who guided us in making our circle come to life.
(From top, left to right) Becca Groner, Emily Kahn-Perry, Rae Oleshansky, (Middle row left to right) Noam Harari, Marisa Rubin, Sabrina Lewis, (Bottom) Sari Misek
Our Well Circle allows me to practice Judaism in a way that truly fills my cup. I am able to connect with a group of amazing women I’ve met in Nashville and discuss how the themes of each lunar month are wildly relevant to our lives. Because of this circle, I am reminded that I am not alone in my highs and lows of experiencing life; there is always more learning to be done, and there are so many ways to be Jewish.
I gift you with some advice to help create your own Jewish learning practice:
1. Never Learn By Yourself!
Schedule a weekly or bi-weekly time with a chevruta (“partner” in Hebrew) to learn together. This is your partner-in-crime to ask questions, challenge one another, and bring different perspectives.
2. Read A Book About Judaism Or Listen To A Jewish Podcast.
My recommendations: “Here All Along” by Sarah Hurwitz and “Unorthodox,” the leading Jewish podcast!
3. Connect Or Reconnect With Camp Friends.
Learn how others are practicing Judaism and see what you can learn from your peers. Reminiscing on previous Jewish experiences can also help inspire you to create a different version of what you learned at camp.
4. Host A Shabbat Dinner.
OneTable is a great resource. You can host a dinner for yourself, or with a group. They have wonderful social distancing guidelines in place as well. Shabbat is such a wonderful way to practice Judaism, recharge, and connect.
5. Surround Yourself With Jewish People.
Being with people you know that you have something in common with, something as simple as being Jewish, is so refreshing. You can also learn a lot from someone else’s Jewish journey.
Judaism tells us that we can only truly acquire knowledge when studying in a group. Having multiple perspectives, someone to ask questions with, and to agree, disagree, and challenge each other, is what has made Jewish learning not as intimidating for me. The power of learning in a group includes asking hard questions and being vulnerable— both keys to making Jewish learning more accessible, fun, and meaningful.