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Why was Mayyim Hayyim built?
What are Mayyim Hayyim's goals?
What is the history of Mayyim Hayyim?
What does "Mayyim Hayyim" mean?
What other uses are there today for a mikveh?
Where is Mayyim Hayyim located?
Where can I learn more about Mayyim Hayyim?
Where can I see additional FAQ's?
Why was Mayyim Hayyim built?
Mayyim Hayyim is the brainchild of a group of Boston-area Jews, including acclaimed author Anita Diamant, who dreamed of a place that would serve Jews-by-choice in a more welcoming manner and become a communal center. "I want a mikveh that encourages the prayers of the heart in Jews of every denomination and description… a welcoming and inviting place from the minute anyone walks through the door….a place for laughter and mazel tovs...a center for study and celebration," writes Diamant.
What are Mayyim Hayyim's goals?
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Maintain and operate a kosher mikveh serving the Jewish
community.
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Secure the financial future of Mayyim Hayyim by operating in a fiscally
responsible manner and through such means as debt reduction, annual fund, and
endowment development.
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Provide a welcoming, beautiful place for both traditional and creative mikveh
uses.
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Foster new uses for mikveh for the 21st century Jewish community (i.e.: healing
rituals following illness or loss)
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Provide information and welcome for those interested in observing the mitzvah
(commandment) of niddah, monthly immersion in the mikveh.
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Support a welcoming, beautiful place for converts to Judaism and their extended
families.
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Provide educational resources regarding the uses of mikveh, including curricula,
teacher training, and presentations by staff and volunteers.
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Serve as an example of an innovative, pluralistic Jewish institution that
collaborates with local, regional and national organizations to provide
meaningful resources and personal experiences to all interested Jews, and those
becoming Jewish.
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Establish Mayyim Hayyim as a national/international resource for education and
professional training for reclaiming mikveh
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Promote meaningful and successful volunteer experiences at all levels of the
organization as an integral component of Mayyim Hayyim’s organizational culture.
Recognize and promote the unique interests of men in traditional and
contemporary mikveh practice and promote the participation of men in all aspects
of Mayyim Hayyim.
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Encourage artistic expression as a means of achieving Mayyim Hayyim’s various
goals.
What is the history of Mayyim Hayyim?
In 2001, Mayyim Hayyim was incorporated as a nonprofit organization, hired an
executive director (Aliza Kline) and began to make plans for building,
fundraising and marketing. Mayyim Hayyim's site at 1838 Washington Street in
Newton, MA, is based in a Victorian home built in the 1860s. Purchased in 2002,
the home was renovated and a large addition built to house the mikveh pools and
preparation rooms. Construction was completed and the building opened in the
spring of 2004.
What does "Mayyim Hayyim" mean?
The name comes from the Hebrew for "living waters" (as specified in Leviticus
11:36). It also expresses our goal to be a dynamic, changing, living entity.
What other uses are there today for a mikveh?
Mayyim Hayyim has been created for a broad range of uses. In addition to
traditional purposes, new uses include celebrations for milestone events such as
a graduation, the end of a period of study, or an important birthday or
anniversary. Immersion also provides an opportunity to mark the end of a period
of loss or healing, such as after a miscarriage, chemotherapy, a year of
bereavement, divorce, rape or abuse; it also represents a new start in the
aftermath of pain. We hope that mikveh-goers will emerge feeling refreshed and
renewed, ready for life's next gifts.
Where is Mayyim Hayyim located?
Mayyim Hayyim is located at 1838 Washington Street (Route 16) in Newton, MA,
within walking distance of the Woodland station on the Riverside Green Line "D"
train. Parking is available in the adjacent Temple Reyim lot (enter the circular
drive at 1860 Washington Street). Mayyim Hayyim's parking is located in a corner
of this lot, which is marked and lit. A short path leads to the Mikveh and
Education Center. The entrance is clearly marked and is handicap accessible.
View Directions
Where can I learn more about Mayyim Hayyim?
You can reach Mayyim Hayyim by telephone at 617-244-1836 or by email at
info@mayyimhayyim.org or read more About Us.
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Who We Are
