Written by Miriam Anzovin “Would’st thou,”—so the helmsman answered, “Learn the secret of the sea? Only those who brave its dangers Comprehend its mystery!” -Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, The Secret of the Sea Last summer, right after the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster, I swam in the ocean for the first […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Todd Kates On July 26, 2011, the 6th anniversary of his adoption by me from a Russian orphanage, my son officially converted to Judaism at Mayyim Hayyim. On October 1, 2011, he celebrated his Bar Mitzvah in front of 145 family and friends. It was probably one of the most profound moments since […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Madeline Mayer While sitting in my Fundraising and Philanthropy class last week, someone remarked vehemently, “I think that more people should give anonymous gifts. I think that it is self-serving when there are several buildings all with one family’s last name.” Now, as a Brandeis student, I admit that I often am frustrated […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Rachel Galper Rachel wrote this monologue for Libi Eir’s “Scenes from the Mikveh Monologues” production. For as long as I could remember, I’d hated myself. I hated my body, my feelings, and the dark, nasty voices inside my head. I hated being a Jew and a woman- a living, walking target. And I was furious at […]
Continue ReadingIn the midst of our month-long series honoring National Domestic Abuse Awareness month, we offer you a selection of quotes from our guest books. These words of reflection, hope, and healing have been left for you to read by our visitors: “This was my first experience immersing in a mikveh, and it will take […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Rabbi Margaret Frisch Klein Another version of this post was first published on the Academy for Jewish Religion website. Sitting in a private bathroom stall on Rosh Hashanah at my synagogue, I notice a sign for a hotline for domestic abuse. I am saddened that we need such signs. I am relieved that we […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Aliza Kline What does it take to create real change in Jewish life? I mean real change, not just changing language from kiruv to outreach to engagement. I mean changing access to ritual, and reframing Jewish experiences so that they actually feel different. How different is it to make change in Israel versus […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Adrienne Query-Fiss Shalom Bayit, a “peaceful home,” is one of the key philosophies of an observant Jewish household. For a married couple, it’s a dance of give-and-take, an ideal relationship not just to one’s spouse, but to the acts themselves of compromise and reconciliation. True shalom bayit is about reconciling two selves, two […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Carrie Bornstein, Acting Director at Mayyim Hayyim Every immersion at Mayyim Hayyim is unique. Each person brings his own reason for visiting, her own story. But when I think of all the stories I have been blessed to know, one in particular comes to mind: “Marci” visited from out of town after she […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Deena Blau I was fortunate to learn about Anita Diamant’s dream of a modern mikveh long before it came to fruition. Her enthusiasm was infectious and I awaited our new mikveh with curiosity and excitement. When Mayyim Hayyim opened its doors in May of 2004, I had my first opportunity to actually see […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Raquel Rosenblatt, Director of Development at Mayyim Hayyim When my older daughter Naomi turned five, her birthday fell on Rosh Hashanah. Sitting in the children’s service in temple that afternoon, she was ecstatic to learn that she shared a birthday with none other than the WHOLE WORLD. Now nine years old, she understands […]
Continue ReadingWritten by Aliza Kline Reposted from Aliza and her husband Bradley’s Israel blog. It was not easy, there is no online listing in English, or apparently in Hebrew, of area mikvaot. Many of the people I’ve met here are not mikveh goers – and are definitely not aware of the tucked away mikvaot in the […]
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