By Rabbi Matthew Berger, Rabbi at Temple Emanuel On December 22, 2011, the 2nd day of Hanukkah, I accompanied two of my conversion students, Leonarda and Zechariah, to Mayyim Hayyim for their Beit Din (court of three) and T’vilah (immersion). This remarkable couple, originally from Puerto Rico, chose to convert to Judaism together – a […]
Continue ReadingMayyim Hayyim is pleased to offer its successful program, “Beyond the Huppah: Creating the Jewish Marriage You Want” beginning this Sunday, March 4 (a few spots still remain!). Enjoy this reprint of a blog post from the program’s facilitator, Judy Elkin, describing one of the remarkably insightful exercises she employs in the program to help couples relate […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Aliza Kline, Executive Director of Mayyim Hayyim “Monologim Mihamikveh” (“Mikveh Monologues”), was the title of a recent article that my Hebrew tutor, Rona, showed to me. I met Rona through ESRA, an Israeli organization that supports English-speakers moving to Israel. Once a week, we sit at her kitchen table to drink coffee, schmooze, […]
Continue ReadingBy Janet R. Being an atheist has worked well for me. I’ve explored religions, never found much meaning in them, and have happily existed as a culturally Jewish non-believer. I’ve never quite understood what ‘spiritual’ means, except maybe it’s what I felt at the end of a couple of yoga classes, or while listening to […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein, Acting Executive Director With nightfall coming so early during the winter, Shabbat lunch with friends often turns into a lazy post-meal afternoon of exhausted parents sitting around enjoying each other’s company, while their animated young children turn the host’s place upside-down. Hypothetically speaking, of course. On one such recent occasion, the next thing […]
Continue ReadingBy Sara Luria, rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College and former Mayyim Hayyim intern “Don’t you care about justice?” Rabbi/organizer Jonah Pesner asked me this pointed question when I told him I want to open a community mikveh in New York after I am ordained. This […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Madeline Mayer Last month I visited Israel with my graduate program. As a candidate for a Master’s degree in Jewish Professional Leadership, the goal of this trip was for the students, as future leaders within the Jewish community, to grapple with the different issues and elements occurring within the Israeli Jewish community. While I […]
Continue ReadingBy Emma Green, Jewish Educator at Boston Area Jewish Education Program When I was a child, I spent a lot of time hanging out at my local synagogue. I grew very comfortable with most of the building while waiting for my brothers to be done with Bar Mitzvah meetings or Hebrew School, youth group events, […]
Continue ReadingBy Sherri Goldman, Administrative Director at Mayyim Hayyim The morning is sunny and bright as I come to work today, walking on the beautiful […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Alissa Golbus, Cohort 7 Mikveh Guide at Mayyim Hayyim One of the hardest parts of my conversion process was, strangely enough, choosing my Hebrew name. The opportunity to claim a name that encapsulates my understanding of who I am and who I hope to be as a Jew felt so hugely important that […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Amy Chartock, National Programs Director Just when life can feel like it is spinning out of control, something magical happens and I feel centered once again. Do tell, you ask? What’s my trick? For me, life comes back into focus when I serve […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Robin Nafshi, Rabbi of Temple Beth Jacob This past June, I was diagnosed with uterine cancer. While I was only 50 at the time of my diagnosis, it really wasn’t a shock. My father – and his sister – had cancer. So did his mother and his uncle. And I have since learned, so […]
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