Episode 2: MENA Women New Month Celebrations

December 18, 2025 - 29 Kislev 5786Episode SummaryIn this episode, we explore Rosh Hodesh as a historic women’s holiday—an ancient pause for renewal, rest, and sisterhood. Sources from the Cairo Genizah to the Shulḥan Arukh describe women gathering in bathhouses, refraining from work, and celebrating a day given to them for refusing to participate in the Golden Calf. Across North Africa and parts of the Middle East, Rosh Hodesh Tevet blossomed into Eid al-Banat, the Festival of the Daughters, honoring Esther, Judith, Hannah, and generations of brave women. Communities marked it with songs, feasts, blessings, and gifts. We invite you to share how you celebrate these days. Thank you to Oshrat Haim for the opening vocals. You can see Oshrat on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQURf3eoiUUD3hMqC4Ey0QA Instagram, Facebook, and Apple Music.Enjoyed this episode? Please like, comment, or leave a review wherever you’re listening to the podcast or email us at [email protected] encouragement helps us carry these ancestral stories into the world — story by story, grandmother by grandmother.Share Your StoryEvery family holds a universe of memory.If you’ve carried a song, a story, a proverb, a photograph, a silence — we welcome you to share it with us at [email protected] memory from your grandmother’s kitchen still warms your hands and heart?A dish, a spice, a scent — what story does it carry?Your voice becomes part of our collective archive.Email us at [email protected] so that we can feature your story on a future episode!Stay Connected- Instagram: @ayunivoices- YouTube: @JewishUnityDiversity- Jewish Unity Through Diversity registration: https://www.unitytdiversity.com/contact-donationsSupport Our VoicesAyuni is a labor of heart and heritage.Become a supporter: If you believe in preserving the lived stories of Middle Eastern and North African Jewish women, please consider supporting this work. Your contribution helps us document what was almost forgotten — and amplify what must be remembered.Sponsor an episode: We partner with individuals and organizations who honor storytelling, heritage, and women’s voices.If you’d like to sponsor an episode in memory of a grandmother or in celebration of your family's story, please reach out: [email protected]