Art Gallery and Education Center, Mikveh Guides

Let’s Hear it for the Guides

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by 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 […]

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Healing, Men

Wanting it to “Work:” Healing from Charlottesville

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by Bryan Mann I came to immerse after standing with a group of clergy against white supremacy in Charlottesville during the “Unite the Right” march. I have never experienced trauma like this and am so grateful Mayyim Hayyim could offer a space to begin the healing process. Thank you so much! “Thank you” feels so […]

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Art Gallery and Education Center, Youth

The Disappearing Mikveh

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by 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 […]

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Life Transitions, Men

A Ritual for Retirement

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by Dr. William Kates After 53 years of practicing clinical psychiatry – almost exclusively around the long term psychotherapeutic treatment of adults – I decided to retire. I looked forward to this time with a mixture of hope and worry: hope that not having the responsibilities for patients would leave me open to other, less […]

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Art Gallery and Education Center, Youth

High School Seniors Talk Mikveh

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by Mike Fishbein Temple Israel of Boston and The Tent: A Jewish Learning Community for Greater Boston Teens at Temple Israel of Boston have brought our last four 12th grade classes to Mayyim Hayyim. The program occurs just before their graduation from our teen education community. These visits have been many things: highly successful educational […]

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National Network

Bodies of Water: Body Positivity and Mikveh

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by Amber Caulkins, Director of the Rising Tide Mikveh Network Last week I traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit the Adas Israel Community Mikvah and while there, I participated in their Bodies of Water program. As one of our partners in developing our Rising Tide Mikveh Network, I’d heard about their work around body positivity […]

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Art Gallery and Education Center, Jewish Community

An Anonymous Affirmation

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At Mayyim Hayyim, we often receive feedback from visitors around the world who participated in one of our many education programs with Associate Director of Education, Leeza Negelev. We are pleased to share these thoughtful reflections from an Israeli teen with the Bronfman Fellowship. Dear Leeza, On behalf of myself and all of the Bronfman fellows, […]

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Potpourri

In the Beginning

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by Rachel Eisen, Director of Annual Giving The concept of tikkun olam, repairing the world, is ever-present in modern Judaism. For many, the act of repairing the world, of rooting out injustice, is a core piece of their Jewish identity. It’s a value that motivates the way they live and interact with the world. The […]

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Carrie Bornstein

A Decade on the Job and the Days and Years Ahead

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by Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director Exactly ten years ago this week, I walked in to Mayyim Hayyim for my first day on the job. I was hired to be the Mikveh Center Director, the organization’s first full-time professional other than Aliza Kline, the founding director. My hair was a lot longer, I’d been a mother for […]

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Potpourri

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2017

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by Mayyim Hayyim 2017 was a marvelous year for the Mayyim Hayyim, and even more so for our community blog. We published 89 new posts, and our community viewed them over 20,000 times! The content was extraordinary and varied. We’ve categorized our posts by topic – just take a look at the righthand side of your […]

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Marriage and Relationships

A Heartfelt Thank You

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At Mayyim Hayyim, we often receive heartwarming thank you letters and emails from guests sharing their immersion experiences. It’s our pleasure to share these mikveh moments with our beloved community. Dear Mayyim Hayyim, Although I was very much looking forward to immersing for the first time before my marriage last month, I had not anticipated […]

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