by Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker Even though my family emigrated from Eastern Europe in the early 20th century, my father always said he felt that his soul was part Sephardic. The music, the food, and the customs that evolved in the many countries Sephardim lived in were alluring to me, too. I was so captivated that […]
Continue Readingby Yasmine Moideen My earliest memory is of being carried on my aunt’s back in a small stream in southern India. I was 4 years old. My 3 aunts, wading in, with their colorful saris floating in the water, laughing, taking turns with me on their backs, making sure I was safe. My parents, brother, […]
Continue ReadingThis month, our blog’s theme is mikva’ot from around the world. Mikveh is a ritual that spans centuries and continents; earlier this month we shared about a mikveh in Cuba, Uganda, and today we learn about the latest in mikveh news in Israel from Rabbi Dr. Haviva Ner-David. If you have a mikveh story from another corner […]
Continue ReadingThis month, our blog’s theme is mikva’ot from around the world. Mikveh is a ritual that spans centuries and continents; earlier this month we shared Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker’s encounter with a mikveh in Cuba, and today we’re sharing Samantha Lakin’s trip to a mikveh in Uganda. Stay tuned for next week, when we share about a unique mikveh in Israel. If you […]
Continue Readingby Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education As a first-time presenter and participant at a recent Limmud FSU (Former Soviet Union) I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I arrived with a friend to the enormous castle-style Sheraton in New Jersey, excited by the buzz of young Russian Jews setting up the hotel at a frenzied […]
Continue ReadingBy Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker I recently led a congregational mission to Cuba where, among many things, we visited an Orthodox synagogue in Havana. One of the lay leaders, Ya’akov, spoke to our group about the synagogue’s history, its members, their services, and their practices. In the chapel, tarnished Torah crowns adorned the bimah, and […]
Continue ReadingBy Shari Zakim-Yacouby and Talya Sokoll Talya: One thing I’ve learned in my 30 years as a Jew is that there is no one right way to be Jewish. Although my experience of living a fulfilling Jewish life has been intrinsically intertwined with the communities I am part of, I feel so blessed to be […]
Continue Readingby Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director I saw the new movie, Spotlight, last weekend. I felt geographically required to, as I did with Black Mass. I root for the Pats and the Sox, and I go see the movies about Boston scandals (okay, and ones with Matt and Ben, too); it’s what we do. […]
Continue Readingby Rachel Eisen, Mayyim Hayyim Intern I remember a story my mother once told me. At the beginning of her career, my mother, who holds two doctoral degrees from an elite university, was accepted into a prestigious research fellowship in her field. But she turned this incredible opportunity down, because her would-be boss told her […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director Originally posted on the Times of Israel Blog It’s been one year since Rabbi Barry Freundel was discovered to be spying on women as they prepared to immerse in the mikveh in Washington, DC. Since that time news reporters, rabbis, and individuals all over the world have placed significant attention […]
Continue Readingby Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education In July, Mayyim Hayyim sent me to attend the COJECO Symposium for Russian-speaking Jews. COJECO (Council of Jewish Emigre Community Organizations) is the coordinating body of the Russian-speaking Jewish community of New York. This symposium gathered 50 professionals from Jewish organizations throughout North America to ask: what works in engaging Russian-speaking Jews […]
Continue Readingby Iris Adams I’ve always been curious about the tradition of mikveh, so I was pleased to accept an invitation to visit Mayyim Hayyim in June with a group of women from the Merrimack Valley. When I walked through the gate by a pretty white and blue tiled bench set among greenery and gardens, I […]
Continue ReadingSearch
Mayyim Hayyim currently has limited availability for immersions while we undergo construction to repair damage incurred to the building following the extreme cold on February 4. We will be updating this page periodically with new information. To support our repairs, click here to donate.
