by Amber Caulkins, Director of The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network One of the values of the Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network is tz’micha / growth. To us, this means being committed to growth and to the process of continuous learning; individually, as organizations, and as communities. Earlier this month Rising Tide hosted […]
Continue Readingby Amber Caulkins, Director of The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network Imagine a bonfire in mid-August: a little bit muggy and damp, the smell of wood burning and bug spray, mixed with a hint of melting marshmallows and chocolate. While for many of us this might bring to mind memories of camp season or […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director I’m getting on a plane today to fly (in reality) to Baltimore, but it actually feels a little more like Never Neverland. You see, six of us from the Mayyim Hayyim community are going to meet up with 35 leaders from around the country for three days for the Rising […]
Continue Readingby Amber Caulkins, Director of The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network I don’t know about you, but I want to live in a world where a mikveh is part of every Jewish community. The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network is bringing what was once a distant dream to life. Through our growing network […]
Continue Readingby Amber Caulkins, Director, Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network Recently, I have been thinking a lot about what makes a mikveh welcoming: a place that invites you in, makes you feel that you belong, and gives you the space to have a meaningful experience. These thoughts haven’t emerged out of the blue, of course. […]
Continue Readingby Amber Caulkins, Director of Rising Tide Mikveh Network Telling my own story can be a challenge. I love to tell other people’s stories (I studied journalism in undergrad, after all), but sharing what has been most meaningful in my own life takes practice. Fortunately, working at Mayyim Hayyim to support the development of our […]
Continue Readingby Amber Caulkins, Director of the Rising Tide Mikveh Network Last week I traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit the Adas Israel Community Mikvah and while there, I participated in their Bodies of Water program. As one of our partners in developing our Rising Tide Mikveh Network, I’d heard about their work around body positivity […]
Continue Readingby Amber Caulkins, Director of Rising Tide Mikveh Network A few weeks ago I traveled to Baltimore with two of my Mayyim Hayyim colleagues to attend the Kenissa: Communities of Meaning Network gathering. The trip gave us the opportunity to connect with Jewish leaders who are working to create “communities of meaning,” defined by Kenissa […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director Since before Mayyim Hayyim opened, we’ve gotten requests to share our model with other communities. We’ve offered individualized consultations, hosted international conferences, trainings, and a blog, developed curricula and immersion ceremonies, and created short documentary films that celebrate how the mikveh (of all things!) can be a place where people […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director One year ago I wrote a post, Six Reasons I’m Psyched for 2016. It’s gratifying to reflect on it, and to see the things I imagined then right in front of me now. The Mayyim Hayyim team of staff, volunteers, and supporters has done an outstanding job of making it […]
Continue Readingby Rabbi Jenny Solomon Where is your “happy place?” Some people picture themselves on a sunlit beach. Others have a favorite niche in their homes. Still others conjure up a vacation destination that holds warm memories and sacred traditions. But what if your “happy place” was also your “sad place,” your “worried place,” your “gratitude […]
Continue Readingby Naomi Malka There is so much sechel, or wisdom, in the Jewish calendar. I love that our year ends with the conclusion of summer and the entry of fall. We’ve celebrated, davenned, and fasted, but this week we’re taking the party outdoors. Sukkot recalls the harvest season in ancient Israel, when the land was so […]
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