Rosh Chodesh Women's Circle 

Rosh Chodesh, the beginning of the Hebrew month, has long been a sacred time for women — a moment to pause, reflect, and renew alongside the moon’s darkening and rebirth.

This monthly women’s circle gathers close to the New Moon / Rosh Chodesh to explore the spiritual and embodied themes of each Jewish month. Together, we create an intentional container where ancient wisdom meets our current lives, inviting both remembrance and renewal.

Each gathering will include learning about the themes of the month, including sharing tea and connecting with a local plant ally that supports the month’s teaching. There will be space for personal and collective reflection, as well as setting intentions for the moon ahead. We will explore each month’s theme through practices such as council-style sharing, gentle movement, song, and artistic exploration.

This circle is an invitation to slow down, listen more deeply, and tend the inner movements of our lives in rhythm with the moon and the seasons.

All women are welcome. Come as you are. No prior Jewish knowledge or experience is needed.  Ideally, women are encouraged to join for as many of the next six moons as possible to support continuity and deepening within the circle, while also honoring that you are welcome to come for a single gathering if that is what feels right.

WHO: Female identified Makom Shalom members

WHERE: Private Residence Sebastopol 

WHEN: monthly, 7-9 pm, on or near the new moon

Iyyar Tuesday April 14

Sivan Tuesday May 19th 

Tamuz Wed June 10 

Av Tuesday July 14th 

Monthly Themes, Plant Allies & Dates

Sarai bio and photo

Sarai began her Jewish life raised in Mt. Airy, Philadelphia — a longstanding center of Jewish Reconstructionism and Renewal — where cultural life, social justice, and spiritual inquiry were deeply intertwined. In her early twenties, she found her way to Elat Chayyim Jewish Retreat Center, immersing herself in Jewish spiritual practice, seasonal ritual, and embodied learning, and later worked with Teva, the Jewish environmental network. She went on to become an early staff member of Wilderness Torah, serving as Director of Youth Programming, organizing seasonal and holiday-based programs, and co-writing the B’naiture Rite of Passage curriculum. 

Throughout her work, she has specialized in supporting girls and women through transitional and threshold moments of life, drawing on decades of experience in nature-based mentorship, ceremony, and guided reflection. She currently works as a spiritual counselor and coach, as well  as a ceremonialist, guide, artist, and devoted earth-lover. Today, she maintains a one-on-one practice while also facilitating groups, circles, and retreats that invite people to root in ancestral rhythms, reconnect with the natural world, and move through change with clarity, integrity, and reverence for life.  You can learn more about Sarai here.