by Sarah Resnick Jenna Weissman Joselit’s recent column in The Forward “Why The Status of Judaica is Waning” wonders whether Judaica is now passé given that museums are turning away collections of intricately decorated menorahs and Kiddush cups, and invites readers to “re-engage with Judaica, if not on its own terms then as pieces of […]
Continue Readingby Ilana Snapstailer “What on earth are they going to do for two hours at a mikveh?!” asked a parent. The truth is, I was not entirely sure, but upon many recommendations, I scheduled a visit to Mayyim Hayyim with my girls. I am not yet a mother. “My girls” refers to the group of […]
Continue Readingby Deborah Skolnick Einhorn Nine of us crowded around the mikveh. I sat on the floor with several of my students, while others leaned against the door jamb, squatted by the side of the ‘pool,’ or leaned against a wall. From my vantage point on the floor, I was struck by the variety and state […]
Continue Readingby Donna Leventhal As a member of the Mayyim Hayyim Art Committee, I am excited to introduce our “Vessels” year-long show. From September-January, “Vessels: Containing Possibilities” showcased the Raku vases of and mosaic art. Opening this Thursday and continuing through June is “Vessels: Holiness in Hand,” featuring work by glass blower Christopher Watts and porcelain […]
Continue Readingby Pamela Cole My first visit to Mayyim Hayyim was a beautiful May evening in 2014. I was on a ‘field trip’ with my Pathways to Judaism class and we were being introduced to what would mark the final step of our conversion process. It wasn’t the first time I had heard of Mayyim Hayyim, though. […]
Continue Readingby Andie Insoft, Mikveh Guide Just a “few” years ago, when I was a teenager, if someone had told me that I would someday be a mikveh guide, I would have said they were absolutely crazy. I grew up in a fairly traditional, Conservative, Jewish home. We kept kosher, attended services (at least 3 times […]
Continue Readingby Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director It’s dark out. Cold. Inside the car we are warm and cozy, zooming along the highway. The heater vents whoosh warm air, creating a soothing white noise. My daughter sits in the passenger seat, eating her dinner from a divided plastic container – cut up chicken in one […]
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 Donna Leventhal “Vessels: Containing Possibilities,” now in the Mayyim Hayyim Gallery, emerged from the concept of the mikveh itself as a sacred vessel. Mikveh defines and creates a sacred space that is both physical and spiritual. The individual’s experience in the space is concentrated, intense, and multidimensional. As a person immerses, the water is […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein The world feels like an ugly place right now. We can’t escape the reality – all throughout the internet, on the news, on the radio, in conversations with friends – that our world is a highly imperfect place. We are in the lowest time of our liturgical year too. These weeks between […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein Last week, Cindy shared how she found meaning at Mayyim Hayyim in 2004 after being turned away from her local mikveh when she told them she’d be marrying another woman. I was inspired by her words – but what struck me more was her willingness to give Mayyim Hayyim a chance when she so […]
Continue Readingby Jody Comins, Development and Events Coordinator Last Sunday, I had a glimpse into one of the many amazing programs that happen here at Mayyim Hayyim, when my younger daughter came with her Rosh Hodesh, It’s a Girl Thing group to the mikveh. My daughter, Elizabeth, and the other girls in the group are from […]
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