Cancer, Healing

Finding God in the Mikveh

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by Gail Sacco I am a 64-year-old Conservative Jew, and I love that being Jewish means I have the opportunity to continually learn and enrich my life. In 2010, I was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer. I had a lumpectomy and radiation because the cells were primarily in situ, meaning they were just beginning to […]

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National Network

Telling your Mikveh Story

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by Amber Caulkins, Director of Rising Tide Mikveh Network Telling my own story can be a challenge. I love to tell other people’s stories (I studied journalism in undergrad, after all), but sharing what has been most meaningful in my own life takes practice. Fortunately, working at Mayyim Hayyim to support the development of our […]

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Shabbat and Holidays

Don’t “Pass Over” the Mikveh

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An oldie but goodie – reshared from March 2017 by Wendy Handler, Mikveh Guide  A friend recently sent me an email that said, “Keep calm and carry on… spring is coming!” with a beautiful picture of budding flowers in my favorite colors. The message did little to soothe my nerves. Spring is coming… translation: Passover […]

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Carrie Bornstein

I’m Here to Spoil You Rotten

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by Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director “Just raise your hand if you need an extra blanket,” my restorative yoga teacher said slowly, “or another block, or maybe some hands-on support. I’m here to spoil you rotten tonight, if there’s anything at all that you need.” “What would you like to order? Let’s start here: What do […]

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Art Gallery and Education Center, Mikveh Guides

Let’s Hear it for the Guides

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by Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director “Supervising and supporting Volunteer Mikveh Guides.” This is what is says in my job description. Sounds pretty straightforward. And, we have 85 active Mikveh Guides: 85 unique individuals who were trained 4 months to 14 years ago (with ongoing continuing education and weekly suggestions and tips to reinforce […]

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Healing, Men

Wanting it to “Work:” Healing from Charlottesville

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by Bryan Mann I came to immerse after standing with a group of clergy against white supremacy in Charlottesville during the “Unite the Right” march. I have never experienced trauma like this and am so grateful Mayyim Hayyim could offer a space to begin the healing process. Thank you so much! “Thank you” feels so […]

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Art Gallery and Education Center, Youth

The Disappearing Mikveh

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by Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education What makes any space Jewish in particular? Imagine an abandoned synagogue in Europe, now preserved for travelers and tourists. Is it a Jewish space if it isn’t being used for tefillah (prayer)? What about a ritual object? Is a kiddush cup really a kiddush cup if it is […]

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Life Transitions, Men

A Ritual for Retirement

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by Dr. William Kates After 53 years of practicing clinical psychiatry – almost exclusively around the long term psychotherapeutic treatment of adults – I decided to retire. I looked forward to this time with a mixture of hope and worry: hope that not having the responsibilities for patients would leave me open to other, less […]

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Potpourri

Shift Yourself, Shift the World

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by Leah Robbins, Administrative and Marketing Assistant If you know me at all, you know that I’ve always got feminism on the brain, but our current political moment has my hair on fire. Suffering has reached unfathomable highs, and our threshold for the basics of compassion, unfathomable lows. I can’t control violent policy, I can’t […]

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Potpourri

Shift Yourself, Shift the World

Posted on:

by Leah Robbins, Administrative and Marketing Assistant If you know me at all, you know that I’ve always got feminism on the brain, but our current political moment has my hair on fire. Suffering has reached unfathomable highs, and our threshold for the basics of compassion, unfathomable lows. I can’t control violent policy, I can’t […]

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