Gathered around coffee, fresh fruit and cookies, several women come together to celebrate the new moon.

Bound together by their Jewish faith, women from the Congregation B'nai Abraham have formed a Rosh Chodesh group, following an ancient tradition that declares the new moon a holiday for Jewish women.

"It was my idea to begin the group," said Hazzan Adriane Caplowe, the religious leader at B'nai Abraham. "I felt it would be a good way for the women of the congregation to start getting together again."

According to Caplowe, the origins of Rosh Chodesh can be traced to three stories highlighting the faithfulness of women.

In a story from the Torah, while Moses had gone up to Mount Sinai, the men of the Israelite nation had created a golden calf to worship.

The Talmud, or the texts that dictate Jewish civil and religious law, explained that the women, unwilling to worship the manmade idol, were rewarded by God with a holiday celebrating their faithfulness to be observed on the new moon.

A second story, explaining the origins of Rosh Chodesh, said during the construction of the Tabernacle, which was to be the dwelling place of God's presence, the Israelite women were more generous with their gifts to the Tabernacle.

In an article written by Caplowe, she explains the story represents the relationship between Jewish women and the "Divine Presence."

A final story, also from the Talmud, compares the women to the moon and the men to the sun.

The women, compared to the smaller moon, claimed the inequality was unjust. In return, God granted a celebration of the moon, now included in the list of Jewish holidays.

Meeting since November, the group is hosted in a different member's home each month. The hostess chooses the topic of the group's discussion.

"It took off immediately," Caplowe said of the group, which usually has about 15 in attendance.

As women gathered for the March meeting, the first one held on a weekday, discussion centered on shopping, husbands, children and work while hostess Roberta Gallagher ensured each cup of coffee and each plate were full.

Once all the group members arrived, they gathered around the dining room table.

Seated at the head of the table, Gallagher announced she has chosen to focus on spirituality.

"I picked spirituality because I would like to know what spirituality is for everybody," she said to open the discussion.

"Where do we get spirituality?"

Several members of the group entered the discussion immediately, comparing the feelings they get while in the synagogue to those they have in other places.

"Aren't there other things in this world that give you awe?" asked group member Judy Berg, noting spirituality could be felt in any daily activity important to the individual.

Though group members' interpretations of spirituality differed, the conversation was warm, inviting each member to share a personal experience or feeling.

Caplowe said moments away from hectic everyday life present opportunities to feel more spiritual.

"We're really looking for silence, we're looking for calmness," she said.

Caplowe, aside from adding her own thoughts, answered questions the women had about religious texts or Jewish history.

The discussion turned to the challenges of preserving traditions and finding spirituality every day.

The women compared the practices of their faith to those of other religions, such as Christianity, in which churches often have more activities to unite its members than the small congregation at B'nai Abraham.

Closing the conversation, the women discussed the formation of new traditions, such as gathering with friends for the holidays when family isn't close by.

Retreating from the discussion table, the women once again gathered around coffee and snacks, their dialogue returning to casual topics such as work and family.

For Gallagher - whose first time hosting a meeting was also her first time attending - the Rosh Chodesh group is an important outlet for discussion.

"I think women are pulled in so many different directions in our lives," she said. "We just do so much that we need this time to just sit down and talk.

"It's just so important for the growth of women."

Caplowe describes the goal of the monthly meetings as "fellowship and spiritual creativity."

"I think anything anybody does that enhances their happiness of life or their joy of life is part of (spiritual creativity)."