Molad
in the evening sky
I caught sight of an arcing sliver of moon;
I hung my hopes on that
thin white ledge clinging to
a larger dark circle I could discern
only in outline
having lost track of our time,
I wondered: had the month just begun
or just ended
and in the coming nights
would I see more of you
or would you disappear entirely from me?
The instant of the moon’s “rebirth” at the start of each Jewish month, when the first glimmer of the orb’s edge is visible from Jerusalem, is known as the “molad.” Of course, the molad also marks the conclusion of the past lunar cycle and, as such, represents a dichotomous moment that is simultaneously completion and inception. Above is a poem by Yossi Huttler, a prosecutor and oral historian living in Staten Island.
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and the protests on college campuses.
Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
