Intimidated No More

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by Allison Schnipper I recently had the opportunity to visit Mayyim Hayyim for the first time. My son’s 6th grade Hebrew School class from Temple Sinai of Sharon visited as part of their life cycle curriculum. Kids, parents, and teachers piled onto a school bus and traveled together to learn about the mikveh and see […]

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Ode to My Teachers

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by Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education Do you remember loving a certain subject or class in school? Maybe it was your art class (that was me), geometry, creative writing, or maybe recess was your thing. Whatever it was, when you think of that subject now, can you identify what exactly made you to love […]

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Open Waters, Open Community

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by Ilana Snapstailer When I brought my 7th grade Rosh Hodesh group to Mayyim Hayyim, we learned about the aquatic lift meant to help someone with a disability use the mikveh. When our educator, Lisa Berman, asked the girls “Why might someone with a disability use the mikveh?” one girl promptly answered, “The same reason […]

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No Sharks in the Mikveh

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by Rabbi Jen Gubitz Liz wrote to me in an email and shared her excitement with her community on Facebook: “I’m going to Mayyim Hayyim today to immerse in honor of the one year anniversary of my conversion!” This is the type of note every rabbi dreams of: a woman like Liz who chooses to become […]

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Entering the Covenant of her Mothers, Revisted

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As the Jewish world evolves, we will continue to create meaningful ways to welcome and honor women and girls within our tradition. Almost one hundred years ago, a Bat Mitzvah was unheard of. Today, a Simchat Bat (a baby naming ritual for a Jewish girl) is becoming more and more commonplace. When we share our stories about the way our […]

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Abba, is Santa Claus Real?

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by Shira Cohen-Goldberg “Abba, is Santa Claus real?” says my four-year-old from the back of the car. This is most certainly my child. I used to put cookies and milk out on the counter for Santa to take when he came to our house on Christmas Eve. In the morning, the cookies and milk were always […]

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Blue for Boys, Pink for Girls

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by Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education Do you remember the moment when you figured out the world would relate to you according to your physical sex? I realized this while picking apples with my family at age four; I was hot, and my dad said I should take off my shirt. For the first time […]

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An Unconventional Bar Mitzvah: Every Child Deserves to be Celebrated

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by Susan Arndt It’s hard to believe we just celebrated my son’s Bar Mitzvah.  Zachary was born a beautiful healthy baby, but at the age of sixteen months, he started having seizures.  Over the years, with all of the challenges he has faced being non-verbal and having developmental delays, I have always looked for ways of […]

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Are You Asking The Right Questions?

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by Caroline Potter Earlier this month, I attended a conference called “Students are Not Asking Questions,” organized by the Cambridge-based, Right Question Institute (RQI). Chiefly a professional development conference for educators, it aimed to address the steep decline in question-asking as children mature and advance in school. So, why do children stop asking questions?  In part, […]

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Spiritual Courage

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by Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director I love Fridays in the summer. The anticipation of a weekend filled with family, beach, sun, swimming, cousins, and a book — when every meal is al fresco, including Shabbat dinner lit only by candlelight and, by dessert, moonlight. At Mayyim Hayyim, Friday afternoons in July are marked […]

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Beth Tikvah Students Weigh In

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by Wendy Gonsenhauser, Teacher at Beth Tikvah Synagogue of Westborough MA and her 5th and 6th Grade Students Every year, Mayyim Hayyim’s Education Center sees over sixty programs for youth, (and another fifty for adults).  Students come from day schools and synagogues all over the Greater Boston Area, some travelling from as far as New […]

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What on Earth Are They Going to Do?

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by 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 […]

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