Members of the "Rosh Hodesh: It’s A Girl Thing!" group that meets monthly in Greenwich.

GREENWICH — Some five years ago, the Jewish educational organization, Moving Traditions, launched Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!, an informal education program that uses Judaism and Jewish tradition to enrich the lives of girls.
Since the inception of “RoHo,” more than 300 groups have been launched throughout North America, in dayschools, teen education programs, and congregations of all denominations, including five Connecticut locations.
Small groups of girls meet monthly, facilitated by trained adult leaders who use Moving Traditions’ curriculum. Through discussion, arts and crafts, and drama, the girls integrate core Jewish values as they focus on the issues that have significant impact on their lives, such as body image, friendship, relationships, competition, stress, and family.
“This was a program we created, then recruited for, instead of the other way around – and it was a success from the start,” says Dinah Miller Marlowe, LMSW, director of the Jewish Health & Healing Center at Jewish Family Services of Greenwich.
Marlowe runs the groups of Greenwich-area seventh and eighth grade girls who meet monthly at Temple Sholom in Greenwich.
“The goal is to prepare young women to grow into confident Jewish adults,” she says. “The program also enhances Jewish identity by bringing together girls from different Jewish backgrounds – all denominations and unaffiliated – to learn to appreciate each other’s point of view.”
The groups explore Judaism itself and various issues through a Jewish lens, Marlowe says, from relationships, self-awareness, and self-identity, to divorce and bullying.
The four-year-old program at Temple Sinai in Stamford has twin components: while a fellow facilitator runs the monthly girls’ meeting, education director Melissa Cohavi leads a parallel group for the girls’ mothers. Both groups discuss the same monthly topic, and share lunch and rituals of Rosh Chodesh (new Hebrew month). “This enables our girls and their moms to talk about the topics together, if they so choose,” says Cohavi. “Both the girls’ group and the moms’ group have really bonded over the years.”
Beth Shalom Rodfe Zedek in Chester started a group this year, using the curriculum for their eighth and ninth grade Gesher program.
“The Rosh Hodesh girls’ program seeks to make Judaism and its teachings relevant to young girls’ lives,” says group facilitator Belinda Brennan. “At a time when they are busy forming their identities, with the variety of influences in our culture, it is an opportunity to help the girls step back a bit and cultivate the critical-thinking skills so needed today to make wise choices while interjecting Jewish teachings and values.”
The program offers an opportunity for Jewish girls to bond with their peers, an opportunity not always available in school, says Brennan. “We also want to provide a safe place to talk about issues they may not talk about elsewhere, and to foster a deepening bond with Judaism and what it has to offer,” she says.
Group facilitators talk about the gratification of seeing girls from different backgrounds find common ground. “As a Jewish communal staff worker, one highlight for me is that two girls, both previously unaffiliated, have joined synagogues because of the group,” Marlowe says. “Of course I want them all to have great Jewish lives, but I also want to give each what she needs. We meet each girl where she is Jewishly.”
Temple Sinai in Newington started a program this year “because it speaks to adolescent and teenage girls on their level, and allows them to have a safe and supportive Jewish community of their own,” says youth director Mitzi Young. “Even with a small group, the program materials inspire incredible conversations and insights among the girls.”
The group at Beth El Temple in West Hartford began in 2008 in response to the suggestion of a mother and daughter from the congregation. With well-attended women’s programming already in place – a Rosh Chodesh group, annual retreat, and trip to Israel – “it seemed natural to develop something for our girls,” says Rabbi Ilana Garber.
Sixth- and seventh-grade girls can attend a group at the temple or at Yachad: Greater Hartford Jewish Community High School; there are 20 participants in all.
With most RoHo groups based at specific synagogues, Yachad started its groups in September as a way to expand the program to girls throughout Greater Hartford. The eight participants come from Farmington, Newington, and West Hartford, and have been focusing on group-building and creating a safe and supportive environment, says Yachad executive director Heather Fiedler.
In a Purim-related session at Beth El, the RoHo group studied how the media present images of women to young girls, and decided to outline their concerns in a letter to Victoria’s Secret CEO, Denise Landman.
“She responded with a long letter, describing how Victoria’s Secret employees must all have a positive body image and healthy habits,” says Garber. “She also sent the girls gift cards to the store.  At the same time, we were learning about girls who are not as fortunate and who have more challenging family situations. So our RoHo girls went to Victoria’s Secret and used their gift cards to buy items for those girls in need. It was a beautiful mitzvah and a great learning opportunity.”
This year, Beth El launched Moon Madrichot for 9th- and 10th-grade girls, created by Rosh Hodesh facilitators Linda Stanger and Heather Toyen, in consultation with Garber and Yachad executive director Fiedler. RoHo “graduates” meet weekly at Yachad to learn leadership skills and do more in-depth study on women and Judaism, then serve as madrichot (counselors or leaders) for the younger Rosh Hodesh girls.
Moon Madrichot is being observed closely by Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! creators and Moving Traditions, RoHo’s parent organization, Garber says, for possible replication in other communities.
“We’re very excited for the potential here and of course, for what this continuity is providing for our girls of all ages,” she says.
For information on Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing!: www.roshhodesh.org/