by Leah Robbins, Administrative and Marketing Assistant
I hate to sound like a nihilist, but we are living in a profoundly uninspiring moment – a bleak and unyielding cycle of shock and sadness. In an even more inverted universe, I’m finding my workplace, of all places, to be the only oasis of joy. In the face of unthinkable pain, within and outside its sacred walls, Mayyim Hayyim remains a holy container of the human experience. I’ve seen our small staff come together in the face of adversity, because we’re driven by our mission to make this precious space available, no matter what. Even as a staff person who works away from the water, I watch the sparks of Divinity ignited here twinkle around every corner.
I am hoping to deflect your attention away from the headlines for a brief moment, to redistribute the precious nuggets of holiness I keep tucked away at my desk.
As of this date, Mayyim Hayyim will have over 40 conversions in May. 40! Just last week we welcomed 13 new Jews into the fold of our people! The thunderous clapping and rapturous song continue to seep into every crack and crevice. Such simchas (joyous celebrations) are only made possible by the 35 (and counting) dedicated Mikveh Guides this month who have put aside their to-do lists, their personal conflicts, and whatever else they might be carrying, to show up for our guests with promises of a warm smile, a cup of tea, and a guiding hand.
We are so proud to have just released Fertility Journeys: A Jewish Healing Guide – a new and amazing and beautiful (and hundreds-of-other-appropriate-adjectives) resource for those in our community and beyond facing fertility challenges. Beautifully written and compiled by Dalia Davis of Uprooted: The Jewish Communal Response to Fertility Journeys, the Guide uses Jewish texts, ritual, guided imagery, and personal stories to serve as a source of support, inspiration, and spiritual healing. I urge you to join us on Wednesday, 5/30 at 6:00PM for our book launch. You’ll hear from those who so lovingly shaped this resource and learn how it can support you or a loved one.
We also launched the Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network: a landscape-changing, paradigm-shifting laboratory of Jewish innovation, inclusion, and ritual-making rooted in our ancient wisdom. Our kickoff Summer Gathering at the Pearlstone Center in August will convene dreamers, healers, and changemakers around the country to build an open and welcoming mikveh movement.
This Thursday night at Coming Up for Air, we will honor three outstanding community leaders, Sheri, Eli, and Idit, for their devotion to a thriving Jewish future that makes room for all Jews, just as they are. We will be dazzled by the breathtaking aerial arts of the Boston Circus Guild and share mikveh magic with our beloved community.
While the world crumbles beneath my feet, I look toward Mayyim Hayyim. It’s this place, this team, this work, that promises a better world.
May the living waters of the mikveh, the mayyim hayyim, wash away the constraints of yesterday, nourish the seeds we plant today, and bloom in us the possibilities of tomorrow.
Leah Robbins is the Administrative and Marketing Assistant at Mayyim Hayyim.