Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing!
Empowering our girls through Jewish Identity, Self Esteem, and Leadership!

Rosh Hodesh is a monthly group for girls in grades 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th grade at Temple Ohabei Shalom.

Print our Brochure and Registration and mail to:
Temple Ohabei Shalom
1187 Beacon Street
Brookline, MA 02446


Why Girls Need This. Every Parent Should Read This.

In our culture, maintaining self-esteem and developing a positive Jewish identity are critical challenges for girls.

Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing! is the first proactive, informal education program that uses Judaism to enrich the lives of girls. It draws on Jewish tradition to give girls a place to feel safe, articulate their questions and concerns, have fun, and be ‘real’ with their peers.

Small groups of girls meet monthly with a carefully trained adult leader who uses our step-by-step manual. Through discussion, arts & crafts, and drama, the girls integrate core Jewish values as they focus on the things they care about most, such as body image, friendship, relationships, competition, stress, and family.

In 2010-2011, Rosh Hodesh institutional partners – mostly congregations and day schools of all denominations – are operating 320 groups for girls across North America.

Rosh Hodesh is a program of Moving Traditions, which envisions a dynamic and welcoming Judaism that incorporates new gender roles and understandings.

Moving Traditions is an educational organization founded in the belief that women and men are full and equal participants in Judaism. Our Board is comprised of Jews from across the Jewish spectrum, giving expression to our shared conviction that there are multiple valid paths of practice and belief.

Our authentic and contemporary Jewish rituals and resources meet the needs of and welcome Jews of all ages, levels of literacy, and affiliation at liminal moments in their lives: birth, adolescence, partnering, parenting, and death.

In doing so, we believe that more women and men will use Judaism to mark important moments and that Judaism will better repair the world by being a force for healthy individual, familial, and community relations.

Our Group Leaders:
Kate Monge came to TOS in the fall of 2004 as a grade 7 teacher in the Ansin Religious School. As a dedicated educator in both the grade 7 and High School programs and a youth group adviser, she joined the full-time staff in March 2006 as the Education Program Coordinator. Kate continued to add to our community as she assumed her new role as Director of Informal Education in the fall of 2007 where she served as the head of the High School Program, adviser to OSTY (the senior youth group), coordinator of all youth groups and youth events in the synagogue and B'nei Mitzvah Educator.


Gabrielle Thal-Pruzan will be leading the 7th/8th grade group. Gabby completed her master's in education in May 2011 and is currently a graduate student teacher in an 8th grade classroom at the Shady Hill School. Having attended an all girls' camp and a women's college, Gabby is enthusiastic about creating safe and nurturing spaces for Jewish girls to come together to discuss issues that matter to them.




Gila Yudewitz will be learning and growing with the grade 6 and grade 9 Rosh Hodesh Groups. Gila has worked in schools and in summer camps enhancing Jewish identity and girl empowerment. Her "Girl Talk" program she started with her campers at Camp Yavneh is still going strong as they are now counselors passing it on to their campers.