A Year-End Letter
By Dr. Paula Brody, Founding Board Member When Anita Diamant first spoke to me about her […]
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Welcome, Cohort Seven!
Written by Sara Smolover, Interim Mikveh Center Coordinator Celebration and tears marked the final Siyyum of their training on December 13th when 10 special women joined the community of Mikveh Guides at Mayyim Hayyim. It has been a pleasure and an honor to get to know them. I thought it might be nice for you […]
Continue ReadingTen Years Later…
It’s been nearly ten years since Mayyim Hayyim founder Anita Diamant published the essay “Why I Want a Mikveh” in The Water’s Edge—our early print newsletter. As we near the end of 2011, it’s amazing to reread these words and see just how much of her initial dream for a mikveh and education center has […]
Continue ReadingLearning to be Quiet
Written by Amy Fleming I went through mikveh guide training not to be a mikveh guide. As a Board member of Mayyim Hayyim, I loved giving tours of the mikveh, educating visitors about what we do, and communicating my excitement about this important revolution, transformation, inspiration (so many superlatives – I’m still that enthused about […]
Continue ReadingA Public Service Announcement for the Mikveh World
Written by Carrie Bornstein, Acting Executive Director I’ve visited my fair share of mikvehs over the years, particularly as I’ve gotten more and more into the mikveh biz. Coming to Mayyim Hayyim, I’ve become accustomed to a warm welcome, meaningful preparation, and a dignified experience. But some of the things that make Mayyim Hayyim special […]
Continue ReadingThe Transcendent Powers of Mikveh
Written by Rabbi Scott Rosenberg For me, there is something extremely humbling about immersion in a mikveh. The idea of mikveh and the transcendent powers of mayyim hayyim, living waters, have always evoked within me a sense of reverence and awe. The link to creation, the notion of rebirth, the existential tension between purity and […]
Continue ReadingHope, Renewal, and Promise
Written by Rabbi Margaret Frisch Klein Did you see the moon the other night? The skinny, little, beautiful, new moon. Rosh Hodesh Kislev, the new month of Kislev, the one where Chanukah, the season of rededication comes. Rosh Hodesh is known as a half-holiday for women. It’s been reclaimed and now groups of women get […]
Continue ReadingBringing the Waters Together: Mikveh Construction & Maintenance Training
Written by Rabbi Joshua Heller As a the senior rabbi of a B’nai Torah, a growing Conservative-affiliated congregation, I’m called upon to wear many “kippot:” teacher of Torah, pastoral counselor, Judaic scholar, administrator, fundraiser, ersatz (substitute) cantor, occasionally even software debugger. Fortunately, I can point to a part of my rabbinical school training that prepared […]
Continue ReadingA Pluralistic Approach to Studying an Ancient Concept
Written by Amy Chartock, National Programs Director Two weeks ago, Carrie and I packed up and flew across the country to gather for a very specialized training focusing on the construction and maintenance of kosher mikvaot. A dedicated group of fourteen people came together from Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Diego, Raleigh, New Orleans, Atlanta Baltimore, […]
Continue ReadingReflections on a Special Conversion
Written by Lisa Port White One of my favorite tasks as a guide at Mayyim Hayyim is to witness conversion immersions and be the first to welcome someone into Judaism. I like it so much that I often scan the calendar and sign up when I know there is going to be a conversion. Last […]
Continue ReadingLearning in Partnership
Written by Rabbi Claudia Kreiman Every year, I am honored to sponsor a few candidates for conversion. As a rabbi, accompanying a person on their path into Judaism is one of the most profound experiences I encounter. I learn from candidates, from their questions and struggles. Their perspectives and experiences enrich my own and open […]
Continue ReadingTalking Mikveh in Jerusalem
Written by Aliza Kline This year, for my sabbatical in Israel, my family and I deliberately chose not to live in Jerusalem. My husband Bradley and I have both lived there for at least two years and we hoped for a different kind of Israel experience. We also were just exhausted by the constant meshugas […]
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