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A campfire. An open meadow. Drums. Dancing. Arms and faces extended to the moon. Voices sing:

"Rejoice in the sliver of the moon whose voice announces a newborn light. Let the flowers of blood descend from the womb of the fertile night. Ya la la la la…"

Sound like something out of "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller? Not quite.

It's the revival of an ancient Jewish ritual, Birkat L'vanah, Blessing the New Moon. The passage is from "Ancestors' Song" by Rabbi Shefa Gold.

Orchestrated by Ami Goodman, a San Francisco pediatrician, the celebration drew about 50 people to Stern Grove Saturday night, marking the almost-new moon with prayer, song and friendship. As the group blessed the moon, the celestial body returned the blessing with a rare San Francisco night — bright, clear and warm.

The participants belong to Kumzits, an informal group whose members share a love of Jewish music. Kumzit is a Yiddish expression meaning, "Come sit and let's sing together."

Organized by Goodman in 1990, the group holds a Jewish song swap monthly in homes or synagogues. Geared more toward study than performing, the group explores different types of Jewish music. Members are encouraged to bring instruments — but only interest, not musical skill, is required.

Goodman, who is quite adept at the guitar and performed in a Jewish folk group while in college, has no formal musical training. What he does have is passion.

"My mother was Israeli and music filled our house," Goodman says, explaining that he picked up his skills through osmosis. "I've learned [a lot] about my own Jewish identity through music."

The Stern Grove campfire is an annual Kumzits event.

The evening started as those sitting around the campfire went over some of the songs they would sing during the ritual. As the sun began to set, havdallah candles and spice boxes were brought out for a service celebrating the end of Shabbat.

Then it was time for Birkat L'vanah. Armed with flashlights, the celebrants moved away from the campfire and into the open meadow.

"The moon waxes and wanes just like the Jewish people have over time," Goodman told the assembly. "It's an important ceremony for Jewish women, [as it represents the] monthly cycle of life."

The ritual of blessing the new moon dates to talmudic times and has enjoyed a newfound popularity as Jewish women's Rosh Chodesh groups have sprung up. Because of the feminine cycles represented by the phases of the moon, Birkat L'vanah traditionally is more of a women's rite than a men's one, Goodman explained. But everyone can celebrate it.

Children, men and women, young and old and even a few dogs were in attendance at Stern Grove. As the children ran through the meadow, adults clustered in a circle reading prayers, poems and passages, and singing songs Goodman had organized for the service. Some people put their arms around each other and swayed while others bounced, stood on their tiptoes or danced.

"Why does the moon have two names, Yeracha and L'vanah?" one woman asked.

A spate of different answers came back.

"Yeracha means month."

"L'vanah means white."

"Mazel means star," someone put in.

"He who deals in mazel deals with the stars."

A telescope that had been set up in the meadow afforded interested celebrants a closer view of the moon. After the service everyone returned to the campfire for another tradition albeit unknown in talmudic times: s'mores.