"During an era when millions of Jews fled the pogroms of Eastern Europe, the Titanic sailed on her maiden voyage. At the time, she was the largest and most luxurious ship ever built and many of her 2,200 passengers were Jewish. At 23:40, April 14, (28th of Nissan 5672) the Titanic swiped an iceberg and sank within two and a half hours. Most of her passengers lost their lives. The sinking of the Titanic was one of the worst and well known maritime disasters of the 20th century. The entire world mourned the Titanic. The grief was universal and shared by people of many nations and religions."

-- Eli Moskowitz

Please join us for a voyage back in time where we will learn about the Jewish victims of the disaster. We will focus on the Jewish aspects of the trip, the lives and deaths of the Jewish passengers, and the effects this event had on world Jewry. We will learn about Benjamin Guggenheim, the second wealthiest person on board the ship, as well as Isidore Straus and his wife Ida, who were returning from a vacation in Europe to New York, where Straus was the co-owner of Macy’s department store. There were also many Jewish passengers traveling in second and third classes as well.

If you're a history buff or not, this will be an interesting and informative session about the Jews who were sailing to the New World, and how they became part of history's most famous maritime disaster.

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About Rosh Chodesh:

The first of each Jewish month—the celebration of the new moon, its slender crescent barely visible in the night sky—is a day historically associated with women’s renewal and celebration. In recent decades, Rosh Chodesh has become an occasion for Jewish women to gather for learning, ritual, and spiritual exploration, and to mark life passages.

A Rosh Chodesh group can provide a unique opportunity for women to share experiences. Talking about the joys and challenges of relationships with significant others, family and friends; the need for a spiritual dimension in our day-to-day lives; experiences with death and mourning; our Jewish upbringing, choice to be Jewish or grappling with the questions of those who are experiencing an inter-religious relationship–all are potential themes to explore. Sharing our unique stories allows each of us to broaden our own knowledge while creating a bond between group members.

We hope to have women of all ages. We believe that our diversity will be our greatest strength and allow us to learn and grow from one another. Our Rosh Chodesh group plans to meet monthly, in various homes, and offer women an exclusive and meaningful opportunity.

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Get involved

Whether you’d like to host one month or have a suggestion for a discussion topic just let us know.

Past Events

Sometimes we’re able to share materials with our guests and readers from past Rosh Chodesh gatherings. The links below will take you to pdf documents that our learning guides have shared. We hope you enjoy.

What Judaism says about Sleep

presented June 2017 by Susan Keller

How Happiness Thinks

presented January 2018 by Debbie Mishek

Women's Chocolate Seder

presented by Wendy Marnoy-Schlickman and Holly Gail Baumann