Handmade in Israel: Rosh Chodesh

Thursday, 24 May 2018

Rosh Chodesh

Tamar, the talented photographer and blogger behind Random-osity, contacted me some time ago to discuss a papercut commission for her mum's upcoming milestone birthday. Her mum adores papercuts, Tamar told me. Her Hebrew birthday falls on Rosh Chodesh (the name for the first day of every month in the Hebrew calendar, marked by the birth of a new moon), something she is very proud of. Tamar was wondering if I could create something for her mum, that would connect to Rosh Chodesh and the lunar cycle. Of course I could!

Rosh Chodesh, which means the "head of the month", is especially dear to Jewish women. According to an ancient tradition, the holiday was a reward given to the women of Israel because they refused to surrender their jewellery for the creation of the golden calf (Exodus 32). Because of their righteousness, the women were exonerated from working on Rosh Chodesh. In addition, many women have pointed out that the menstrual cycle is similar to the monthly cycle of the moon. (The English word "menstruation" derives from the Latin word for "monthly.") Furthermore, according to Kabbalistic teachings, women share a special relationship with the moon. For these reasons and more, Rosh Chodesh has long been sacred to Jewish women and some mark it as a woman's holiday and a time for prayer and study.

I created a papercut that loosely depicts the cycle of the moon. I drew a full moon surrounded by smaller crescent and gibbous moons in varying sizes, illustrating the moon moving through its monthly cycle. I added stars and swirls to add a feeling of movement.

"The stunning paper cut arrived today! It’s gorgeous!", Tamar wrote to me when she received it. She later reported back that "Mom LOVED the papercut!"