In a display of partnership among neighboring synagogues, the Orthodox congregations of West Orange held a community-wide women's arts festival celebrating Rosh Hodesh on June 19.

Dreamed up by Mali Schwartz of Ahawas Achim B'nai Jacob and David, held at the Lubavitch Center of Essex County, and sponsored by Rayut, a Rosh Hodesh group created in part by Debbie Druze of Congregation Ohr Torah, the women-only project was sponsored by the synagogues' sisterhoods and focused on creativity.

"We have a whole range of people, from professional artists to the person just getting her fingers wet. We want to enjoy the process of what we do," said Schwartz in an interview just before the event, in honor of the new Jewish month of Tammuz, which began on June 16. Many synagogues have revived the tradition of Rosh Hodesh, the start of the new Jewish month, becoming an occasion for a gathering for women for study, prayer, and celebration.

Schwartz got the idea for "Expressing Ourselves: A Women's Creative Arts Event" from a 12-week course she attended at the Lubavitch Center in West Orange. The course, based on The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (2002) by Julia Cameron, was led by social worker Yocheved Sampson, who has led similar groups throughout the New York and New Jersey area. Sampson offered the keynote address at the West Orange event.

"I thought, wouldn't it be neat to create a women's arts event based totally on creativity?" Schwartz said. "I wanted to organize an event where women can share their creative spirit with one another."

In addition to Sampson's presentation, the evening featured an artists' roundtable facilitated by Marilyn Burg, a painter based in Passaic; and an exhibition by local artists. Singers Merav Bayar and Carol Goldberg performed along with other local poets, storytellers, and actors. Writer Barbara Gottfried Hollander discussed her first children's book, Henry the Great's First Adventure, which was published in 2003.

"The nice thing about coming together is that we can tap into the wider community and that brings in more women for artistry and performance; it's a way to unite us," said Schwartz.

Rayut, the Rosh Hodesh group, was started by Druze, now a member of Ohr Torah, 22 years ago. While they continue to meet to celebrate the new month, Druze said, community-wide events happen only about once each year.

"Mali is really taking it to the next step, making it a women's arts project," said Druze.