by Leah Robbins, Administrative and Marketing Assistant

I was fortunate enough to join the Mayyim Hayyim staff in June of 2016, and it has since been a working girl’s dream in every sense of the word. This team, the work, the ritual, the mission – they’re nothing but holy.

My formal position here is a sort of jack-of-all-trades; I get to work alongside each staff member on projects in each “department” of the mikveh. I consider this work an enormous privilege, but between you and me, my real dream is by the water. Every day, I peek around corners hoping to catch a glimpse of someone’s magical moment at the mikveh, whether it’s the Mikveh Guide extending a warm welcome to a guest, making a cup of tea for someone immersing, or clapping along to celebratory singing after a conversion. There’s no shortage of miraculous moments to witness here, but I’m still itching to get my feet wet, so to speak.

I have been daydreaming about becoming a Mikveh Guide long before I was hired at Mayyim Hayyim. After completing an undergraduate honors thesis about mikveh, I became completely enamored with the transformational potential of immersion. And when I discovered the progressive, ritual goldmine that is Mayyim Hayyim, well, the rest is history.

Mayyim Hayyim is preparing to train its 11th cohort of Mikveh Guides. At last, the opportunity is at my fingertips. Now’s my chance – my time has come! I’m deeply humbled at the prospect of contributing to such sacred service, sharing in my community’s most critical life moments, and guiding them through an ancient ritual so dear to me. To offer a warm smile, a calm presence, and more importantly, a refuge to mark a meaningful moment, is a privilege and responsibility I’d carry closely to my heart.

Later this week, Mayyim Hayyim will determine which applicants have been accepted to the training and announce the new cohort of future Mikveh Guides…keep your fingers crossed for me!

Leah Robbins is the Administrative and Marketing Assistant at Mayyim Hayyim. Should she be accepted to the program, you’ll be sure to hear about it.