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Giving Thanks to Mayyim Hayyim

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by Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director Last week a 12-year old girl decided to immerse at Mayyim Hayyim prior to becoming a Bat Mitzvah. As is the often the case, she led the way by bringing in her step-mother and grandparents, all of whom were skeptical about visiting a mikveh. Resolute in her plans, she calmly […]

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My Life in Snapshots at Mayyim Hayyim

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by Jenna Margolis I was little when my cousin converted to Judaism, but I distinctly remember watching my aunt hold her own breath as she released her new baby into the water. After several dunks in the Mayyim Hayyim mikveh, the child was Jewish, according to our rabbi. My family rejoiced, my aunt breathed again, […]

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R&R: Rejuvenation and Ritual

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by Cassie Seinuk One night I went out to walk my dog, placed my foot on the step outside my door, and tripped, stumbling down four concrete steps, landing heavily on my left arm. The pain was sharp, and loud, and I knew something was broken, especially when I tried to stand and couldn’t. After […]

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Jewish Ritual as a Guide to Community Healing

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by Rachel Eisen, Director of Annual Giving This past week has been, to put it mildly, a tumultuous and heavy one. As a (white) Jewish woman, I’ve been worried and scared for my friends and family of all races and religions, as an antisemitic man and a homophobic man were named to the presidential transition team. […]

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A Place for Hope and Serenity at this Fraught Time

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by Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director Unsettled, energized, anxious, fatigued –we are all experiencing a panoply of emotions at this time of decision-making in our country. This has been a time of political transition unlike any most of us have known in our lifetimes, unprecedented in its fraught nature. Transitions are not new to […]

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Reflections on “Water Wonders” For Families with Children Grades K-2

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by Susan Morrel, Jewish Educator for Mayyim Hayyim’s “Water Wonders”  I am often astounded by the questions early elementary school children ask. They are so full of wonder and curiosity, seeing the world through a lens of awe, fascination, and joy. Not surprisingly, they love to learn about the natural world, particularly water, a mysterious and […]

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Moments in a Moroccan Mikveh

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by Elyse Shuster I recently returned from a trip to southern Spain and Morocco. Part of the appeal of this region was its rich Jewish history, and I was definitely not disappointed! While much of the Jewish history in Spain is the story of a “golden age” cut short by the expulsion of the Jews […]

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Many Visits Later, Finally My First Immersion

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by Rachel Bernstein I had been preparing for my first immersion for eight years. I didn’t know exactly when it would be, but I could guess why it would be. The first eight times I had visited Mayyim Hayyim, I went in my capacity as Academic Adviser for the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute summer internship. I brought […]

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One Small Act

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by Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director The wind swirls today. Is it here to strip us of our unwanted bits, to smooth our testy edges, to burnish the gems in our souls? It bends the trees, branches, and bowed heads. Can it bend us to our own wills, to release our pains, to emerge […]

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An Immersive Stroll

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by Kelly Banker My monthly immersions have been interrupted, and their absence is showing up everywhere I turn. Each immersion felt like a suspension of time; a breath of new life into each month. This summer, though, I was living in western Massachusetts and only recently returned, and have not had the time to immerse […]

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Serenity in the City

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by Nate Vaughan Last year, around this time, I immersed at Mayyim Hayyim for the first time, in preparation for Rosh Hashanah. Ever since I first heard about Mayyim Hayyim, I’ve listened to many people speak about their immersion experiences. In part, those stories led me to immerse. But this isn’t a story about the incredibly meaningful […]

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The Kids are All Right – Thanks to You

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October 2016/ Tishrei 5777 Enough with the hand-wringing about the Jewish future. The kids are all right—and then some. You want proof? Listen to Mayyim Hayyim’s young visitors. Listen to Ira, who immersed before his bar mitzvah: This has been one of the most meaningful, spiritual, serene, and overall       amazing experiences I’ve […]

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  • Closure Notice

    Please be advised that Mayyim Hayyim will be closed starting July 25 through August 7 while we install critical AC units. Existing appointments will occur as scheduled.

    Thank you for your understanding. We will be doing this work to ensure guest comfort during Elul, the month leading up to Rosh Hashanah.

    If you have any questions, please reach out to info@mayyimhayyim.org