by Rabbi Matthew Soffer When Romeo “oos and ahhs” over Juliet in the most famous scene of any of Shakespeare’s plays, he utters a line that is often misappropriated today: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Translation: His beloved’s name is irrespective of her identity, her beauty, and her “sweet smell.” […]
Continue Readingby Walt Clark, Office Assistant There was an ancient Roman god called Janus who was known as the god of beginnings and transitions. All entrance ways and exits fell under his purview. He was depicted as having two faces, one that faced the past and the other towards the future. Janus is not a widely […]
Continue Readingby Naava Pasternak Swirsky Back in May, Penny Harow Thau and I published a book, There’s a Shark in the Mikvah! A Light-hearted Look at Women’s Dunking Experiences. We had contacted friends and family and used social media to collect funny mikveh stories. After the book came out, I wrote an article for the Times of […]
Continue Readingby DeDe Jacobs Komisar, Development Manager The big news around these parts is that Lifetime TV has made our own Anita Diamant’s iconic work, The Red Tent, into a miniseries. It airs December 7th and 8th, and stars Minnie Driver, Debra Winger, and some guys from Game of Thrones. Mayyim Hayyim is hosting its own screening […]
Continue Readingby Alan Green, Mikveh Guide After 35 years of practicing as an OBGYN in Nashua, NH, I retired in April, 2012. So what did I do with all the free time that I thought I would have? Among other things, I became a Mikveh Guide at Mayyim Hayyim. I was accepted into the 8th cohort […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein liminal |ˈlimənl| adjective technical 1 of or relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process. 2 occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold. I live in a world of liminal space. And not only because I work at a mikveh. The mikveh, of course, […]
Continue Readingby Joseph Gindi My recent move back to Boston to begin rabbinical school has really felt like coming home. I had previously interned at Mayyim Hayyim, so when Lisa Berman, the Mikveh and Education Director, invited me to come back and volunteer as a Mikveh Guide, I decided to get in the water myself to mark the […]
Continue Readingby Rabbi Haviva Ner David I arrived home last night to Israel, where I live with my husband and seven children. We were all in the U.S. to visit family, and I stayed on for a short book tour for my new memoir. It was an intense three weeks of 24/7 family bonding and little […]
Continue ReadingBy Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director Have you ever thought about all the teachers you’ve had in your life? Can you imagine what you would be without them? Do you remember your kindergarten teacher? First grade? My first grade teacher was Mrs. Rowbottom. Yup, Rowbottom. She ate her triangular sandwich quarters by wrapping them […]
Continue Readingby Caroline Potter I always found something special and appealing about Jewish culture and community. In my late teens and early 20’s, it came to my more immediate attention that people did convert to Judaism, and I made this decision myself in September 2012. My own religious background is Presbyterian/Episcopalian. I attended an Episcopal grade school […]
Continue Readingby Sherri Goldman, Administrative and Finance Director November can be a tough month. The month begins with a transition to longer nights and shorter amounts of daylight. Saying goodbye to the sun can leave many people feeling depressed and sad. There can be a tendency to hibernate, causing us to sleep and eat more. Very tough […]
Continue ReadingBy Chaya What do the mikveh, Orthodox Jews, and sex addiction have to do with one another? As an Orthodox woman, and a member of S-Anon, I can safely say that they are deeply intertwined. S-Anon, modeled on 12-step fellowships like Al-Anon, is a support program for spouses, partners, and others affected by another person’s sex […]
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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
