The mikveh has been used for ritual purification for thousands of years. Jewish men have traditionally immersed in the mikveh waters for the sake of conversion and preceding the Sabbath and Yom Kippur. With the opening of Mayyim Hayyim, a new "Men's Initiative" has begun to explore and reclaim the traditional and creative possibilities that exist for men and mikveh.

The goal of the Men's Initiative is to engage and to facilitate traditional and creative immersion experiences for men as an enriching, personal, and spiritual experience.

Mikveh has the potential to speak to specific needs or transitional moments in our life journey. Some of the possibilities include:

  • Birth of a child or grandchild

  • Becoming a Bar Mitzvah/ celebrating the Bar Mitzvah of your son

  • Conversion

  • Entering fatherhood

  • Marriage or the beginning of a committed relationship

  • Circumcision

  • Jewish holidays

  • Recovery from illness or completion of cancer therapy

  • Anniversaries

Other powerful transition moments might include:

  • Milestone Birthdays

  • Starting a new job or phase of education

  • Ending a job or retirement

  • Life losses: death of a parent, child, or grandparent

  • Other endings such as divorce or the divorce of your parents

  • Moving into/out of a home

  • Leaving your parents' home for college

  • The departure of a child from home

  • Loss/ miscarriage

These experiences and transitions are part of the fabric of men's lives. The use of mikveh offers new ways of acknowledging and marking these pivotal moments. The metaphor of water in Torah is rich and offers us many new opportunities for this ancient ritual. In the stories of creation, the flood, crossing the Red Sea and elsewhere, immersion brings about transformation.

We need your valuable insights and skills as we progress with the Men's Initiative. Together, we can develop new and creative ways for the mikveh to support and inform us through life.

Another major opportunity for involvement comes through the role of the mikveh guide (madrich). Mayyim Hayyim aims to have mikveh guides present when all boys and men immerse. These volunteers shepherd each guest coming to immerse from the moment they enter. Mikveh guides are present throughout the immersion experience, and also are available to serve as witnesses and provide additional support. Being a mikveh guide is a deeply rewarding experience, helping other men through important moments in life.

Please click here to find out more information on becoming a mikveh guide. For further information on the Men's Initiative at Mayyim Hayyim, please email Sara Smolover or Amy Chartock, Mikveh Center Coordinators, at mikvehcoordinator@mayyimhayyim.org .

Click here to read an article about Men and Mikveh written by the JTA following the Mikveh Conference in June. 2006.