Background information on the Moon Tallit

SHE NOLADETI ISHA
FOR I WAS BORN A WOMAN

In Judaism, time is measured by the moon and the lunar calendar is the basis by which festivals and memorial days are marked. This is not surprising since our origins are that of a tribal and agricultural people connected to the land and the cyclical nature of the seasons.

The importance of lunar cycles is attested in the fact that the Torah gave the ancient Rosh Chodesh (New Moon) festival equal status with the other major holidays. Despite our urban modern culture, the waxing and waning of the moon has in some way still remained a primal, visible reminder of the eternal cycles of life.

However, while Jewish tradition notes the parallel of lunar cycles and women’s menstrual cycles, the taboos surrounding women’s bodies and sexuality gave rise to “family purity” laws. To this day in some traditional settings women are not allowed to touch the Torah in case they are “unclean”.

By adopting the moon as symbol of womanhood, we reclaim the positive aspects of our female cycles, whether past or present. We connect in a material way with the cycles permeating all life: plant, animal and human.

Wrapping ourselves in a tallit that celebrates the moon, we sanctify our bodies and celebrate the physicality of our lives within the sanctuary of a Jewish place of worship.