by Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director
Mayyim Hayyim is no stranger to fertility. As mikva’ot have for hundreds of years, we are a touchpoint for individuals at all different moments on their journeys to building a family. We feel fortunate to offer both a reflective space during times of joy and, when needed, a refuge for moments of sorrow.
It is estimated that 15-20% of Americans of childbearing age will face a fertility challenge. For Jews, who tend to have children later in life, that number is even higher. While many Jewish individuals have access to medical services, care, and information, a majority are unaffiliated and disconnected from Jewish resources; this is especially true for many in their 20s and 30s.
Mayyim Hayyim is proud to announce the upcoming release of its newest resource, Fertility Journeys: A Jewish Healing Guide, which will be available in May 2018. The Guide, beautifully written and compiled by Dalia Davis of Uprooted: The Jewish Communal Response to Fertility Journeys, is structured around the narratives of five biblical women and the contemporary issues they highlight. Each chapter explores various topics through personal stories, texts, prayers, guided imagery, rituals, and opportunities for personal reflection.
Fertility Journeys: A Jewish Healing Guide offers support, inspiration, and healing. By connecting the reader to texts from our Jewish tradition as well as contemporary voices, it provides a poignant reminder that people have been struggling with fertility challenges since ancient times. It is Mayyim Hayyim’s hope that this Guide will help minimize the sense of isolation that is common among those on a fertility journey, foster self-empowerment, and create a community of support.
Join us for the launch of this new and important resource on Wednesday, May 30 at 6:00pm at Mayyim Hayyim. To RSVP to the launch, learn more, or reserve a copy, contact Lisa Berman, Mikveh & Education Director at lisab@mayyimhayyim.org.
Fertility Journeys is generously supported by grants from The Miriam Fund at CJP.
Lisa Berman is the Mikveh and Education Director at Mayyim Hayyim.