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 […]
Continue Readingby Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education Last August, my family and I broke our Aunt Ria out of the nursing home to celebrate her 90th birthday. We took her to a nearby park, where we set out a feast of Russian food and regaled her with songs and stories. When it came time to […]
Continue Readingby Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director “Supervising and supporting Volunteer Mikveh Guides.” This is what is says in my job description. Sounds pretty straightforward. And, we have 85 active Mikveh Guides: 85 unique individuals who were trained 4 months to 14 years ago (with ongoing continuing education and weekly suggestions and tips to reinforce […]
Continue Readingby Leeza Negelev, Associate Director of Education What makes any space Jewish in particular? Imagine an abandoned synagogue in Europe, now preserved for travelers and tourists. Is it a Jewish space if it isn’t being used for tefillah (prayer)? What about a ritual object? Is a kiddush cup really a kiddush cup if it is […]
Continue Readingby Jim Billings, Mikveh Guide It is finished, and it has begun! Over 30 years ago, I converted to Judaism. I would eventually marry a Jewish woman, and raise a Jewish family. My rabbi was not “into” the ritual of mikveh as part of the conversion process, so I never immersed to complete my conversion, as […]
Continue Readingby Rabbi Miriam-Simma Walfish Niddah is the practice of abstaining from sexual intimacy around the time of menstruation. When contemplating the rabbinic laws surrounding menstruation, it can be easy to wonder: Why is there a whole area of Jewish law devoted to the intricacies of determining the beginning and end of women’s menstrual cycles? At times, […]
Continue Readingby Rachel Tali Kaplan An invitation and an ode: a rabbinical student’s thoughts on and encouragement to join Mayyim Hayyim for Knocking at Our Hearts, a High Holiday musical workshop with Joey Weisenberg, on September 10 at 3:30PM. water and music are healing to immerse and be immersed surrounded enveloped both mediums allow me to […]
Continue ReadingWelcome to Our October Blog Series, From Rachel Hillman, Guest Editor October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month where the media highlights breast cancer, research for treatment and, one day, a cure. During October, many women and men share their stories about how breast cancer impacted them or their family. Last year, after being diagnosed with breast cancer […]
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