by Eytan Weiner
Due to the fact that I am a 14 year old boy going into high school, every decision affects my social status. Regardless of how big or small a choice I make, “life changing” things can happen, based on what table I sit at, what food I eat, and who I choose to exchange polite banter with while I quietly eat my lunch. When I decided to immerse at Mayyim Hayyim, I had kept that decision to myself. My mother was most supportive of all when I made this decision. She had constantly helped to schedule a time to immerse. I decided to immerse because I was ready for a life change. While many 12 and 13 year old children are eager to become b’nai mitzvah, they do not understand the full gravity of what this point in their life marks; such an action is the most important thing in a person’s life until the day they stand underneath the chuppah and recite “I do.”
I decided to immerse today because it meant a lot to me that I was going into high school. This to me, was more life changing than becoming a Bar Mitzvah. As I wrote in the guest book, “[Immersing] was like God had reached out His hand, and cradled me in a warm hug.”
When I first approached the mikveh I was skeptical, but after I said the traditional blessings, I politely asked my Mikveh Guide to leave. Afterwards, I took some time by myself and thought about all aspects of myself that I wanted to improve or reinvent, and then immersed after each. When I emerged, it felt as though that aspect of myself washed away and dissolved into the water. When I could not think of any more things, I thoughtfully walked out, pausing on each of the seven steps. As I gradually left the water, I felt like a different person, a changed person. I am so grateful for my Mikveh Guide, Sonny, for helping me through the process of immersing, and I am grateful to the whole Mayyim Hayyim staff for being welcoming, comforting, and supportive.
Eytan Weiner will be attending Natick High School. He is number three of six in a large blended family – he splits his time between Natick, MA and Woonsocket, RI. He loves skiing, theatre, and singing. Eytan will be singing in the men’s choir at NHS in the fall and hopes to join their ski team.