Definition

Noun: - (Judaism) The beginning of each month in the Jewish calendar; marked by a special liturgy. It is a minor Jewish festival observed on the first day (or, for some months, the last day of the previous month) of a new lunar month.

Usage

• Rosh Hodesh is observed as a day with reduced work restrictions compared to major festivals, often marked by special prayers and Torah readings.
• The observance of Rosh Hodesh can vary in length; it is one day for most months but two days for the month following a 30-day month.
• The term is used to refer to the holiday itself.

Examples

• The community gathered for the Rosh Hodesh service to welcome the new month of Nisan.
• Celebrating Rosh Hodesh has become a meaningful tradition for many modern Jewish women's groups.
• The date for the event was set for the first day of the month, which coincided with Rosh Hodesh.

Advanced Usage

• "Rosh Hodesh Society" or "Rosh Hodesh Group": Refers to contemporary groups, often for women, that meet monthly on or near Rosh Hodesh for study, celebration, and community building.
  • She finds great spiritual support in her local Rosh Hodesh group.

Variants and Related Words

• Rosh Chodesh: An alternate transliteration from the Hebrew (ראש חודש).
• New Moon: While not a direct synonym, the concept is astronomically linked, as Rosh Hodesh is based on the lunar cycle. In Biblical contexts, "new moon" often translates the Hebrew concept.

Synonyms

• Beginning of the month (in a Jewish calendar context).
• New Moon festival (in a historical/Biblical context).

Related Phrases

• "Molad": The precise astronomical "birth" or conjunction of the moon, which is the technical start of the new month for calendar calculations. Rosh Hodesh is the observed celebration of this event.
• "Birkat HaChodesh": The "Blessing of the New Month," a special prayer recited in the synagogue on the Sabbath preceding Rosh Hodesh.

Noun

1. (Judaism) the beginning of each month in the Jewish calendar; marked by a special liturgy