Behind the Sheet

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When a person immerses in a mikveh, s/he does so in as close a state to what s/he was like when he or she was born:  no make up, no prosthetics, no jewelry, no clothes.  When someone comes to Mayyim Hayyim, that person always has the option of having a guide with him or her.  […]

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Niddah Anonymous: Keeping a Sacred Act Private

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We were so excited about the new opening of Jerusalem Pita in Brookline.  We ventured out of our apartment in Cambridge with our 2.5 year old and 2 week old to taste what everyone was talking about.  While the dining experience was nothing to write home about, the real experience of the evening came from […]

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Shavu'ot: Witnessing a Conversion, Remembering Ruth

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As a mikveh guide who volunteers regularly, I see the holidays in a way that I hadn’t before—while I have always known they mark time’s passage, celebrations, and events, when people come to the mikveh to immerse for a holiday, I see how some people carry tradition with them by taking time out of their […]

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A Mikveh Guide and Board Member Muses on Immersion

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I felt like a fraud! Mayyim Hayyim’s mission speaks to me, it speaks loudly and it speaks clearly!  So, why had I never immersed? I have had the privilege of serving on the organization’s Board of Directors.  I have also taken the training to become a mikveh guide, and find those experiences of being witness […]

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Mikveh Misdemeanors: Why We Need More Mikvaot Like Mayyim Hayyim

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I love the mikveh.  I love this mitzvah so much, in fact, that over the last thirteen years I have immersed in many mikvaot around the world.  And despite having encountered many mikveh misdemeanors, I continue to return to the “living waters” time and time again.  As I reflect on these “misdemeanors,” I don’t include immersing […]

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Training a Male Mikveh Guide: a reflection

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As a Male Mikveh Guide you are about to embark on a marvelous journey through uncharted waters. You will become, with a little patients and practice, the “Mikveh Lady” for your male peers. During the first part of the training you will learn a great deal about the rules of contact between a man and […]

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Me and Mikveh? Are you Mashugga?

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The question is: how did a mikveh, a place that was alien to me most of life, become part of my life?  Like everyone’s personal story it can be long and complicated or it can be short and concise.  So here is the condensed version. My life is filled with twists and turns; it is […]

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Creating a Space to be Vulnerable

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At Mayyim Hayyim, we believe that the primary role of a Mikveh Guide is to help the visitor feel safe enough to be vulnerable – vulnerable to a meaningful, powerful ritual experience. Through participating in the Guide My Steps Training Curriculum, Mikveh Guides learn to respect the physical, emotional, and personal space of each visitor, […]

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