By Eliot Mohrmann (they/them) Mikveh Manager Greetings again from the “Wet Side” of Mayyim Hayyim. I have been in my role as Mikveh Manager for almost 6 months. It is an honor to ensure that all immersions are scheduled with Mikveh Guides and that the pool area is well stocked and beautifully maintained. There are […]
Continue ReadingBy Aki Yonekawa, Manager of Rising Tide As we head into the month of Kislev, I think about the history of mikveh as a nighttime ritual. When I do mikveh education – especially with kids – I like to make a point of differentiating between something that is a secret and something that is private. […]
Continue ReadingA few weeks ago, at the mikveh, we were able to offer a guest from Buenos Aires a copy of our seven pre-immersion kavanot, intentions, in their first language – Spanish. Had Hebrew been their first language, we would be able to offer that, too. We’ve worked with multiple different community groups and individuals to […]
Continue ReadingHello, and welcome back to the Archive Deep Dive! It has been an eventful time here at Mayyim Hayyim with both the High Holy Days and the archives project. Outside of my archival duties, I am a Mikveh Guide at Mayyim Hayyim, and my experiences as a Mikveh Guide have given me a deeper understanding […]
Continue ReadingBy Bev Klau, Director of Programs and Partnerships This past Sunday, Rising Tide’s Open Water Mikveh Network kicked off our 13th cohort of online Mikveh Guide training. Over thirty participants Zoomed for this live orientation session co-hosted by Bev Klau, Mayyim Hayyim’s Director of Programs and Partnerships, and Aki Yonekawa, the Manager of Rising Tide. […]
Continue ReadingWhat happens when college students immerse at Mayyim Hayyim? They want to enable their peers to have the same powerful, connected Jewish ritual experience, too.
Continue ReadingThe afternoon before Rosh Hashanah began, something wonderful happened at Mayyim Hayyim. Student prayer leaders from Brandeis University Masorti (Conservative/Traditional-Egalitarian) minyan came to immerse in the mikveh. They were the last people to immerse in 5785— and they filled me with hope. Two decades ago, it would have seemed unthinkable that college students of all […]
Continue ReadingOn September 18, our gallery in the Paula Brody and Family Education Center was alive with warmth and beauty as we celebrated the opening of Irma G: A Century of Hats and Spirit, a stunning photography exhibition by Leann Shamash, a longtime mikveh guide. As Leann reflected on her mother’s life, and what it means […]
Continue ReadingThis week, we had the honor of hosting 10 inspiring young leaders from CJP’s Young Adult Leaders Haifa Delegation. It was a powerful visit that went beyond a simple mikveh tour. As the delegates explored Mayyim Hayyim, Bev Klau, Director of Programs and Partnerships, shared how we’ve reimagined this ancient ritual to be a place […]
Continue ReadingCelebrate the opening of this exhibit with an artist talk and sweet treats! Opening Reception Thursday, September 18 7:30- 9 PM You’re invited to attend our gallery exhibition opening and artist talk with local photographer and poet Leann Shamash. This beautiful portrait series features the artist’s mother Irma during the final year of her life. […]
Continue ReadingForward article from July 9th, 2004, mentions Mayyim Hayyim as an interdenominational mikveh Welcome to the next installment of the Archive Deep Dive! I’ve been slowly but surely making my way through Mayyim Hayyim’s records these past few months, and every day I uncover a new piece of the puzzle that forms the story of […]
Continue ReadingA Joint Project of a Mother and a Daughter. Irma Gershkowitz and Leann Shamash What do we see when we see the elderly? As we breeze by, we may observe stooped shoulders, crooked backs, gnarled hands, uncertain gaits, wrinkled skin. What do we see when we see women who once walked with a confident stride […]
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