by 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 ReadingOriginally posted in March 2017 by Anonymous As a Jewish woman living a traditional halachic life (governed by Jewish law), I am often faced with questions from myself and others regarding my religious choices. One question that will likely always come up is that of the place of women in halachic Judaism. In modern-day Orthodoxy, […]
Continue Readingby Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker We return to who’ve we’ve always been, are meant to be, but have not yet become. (R. Dov Peretz Elkins) The whole country was focused on the moon and the sun in August for the highly anticipated solar eclipse. We bought our special sunglasses, decided where we wanted to be […]
Continue Readingby Cantor Jeri Robins The start of a new year – whether Rosh Hashanah or the school year – is always an opportunity to reflect on the past and look toward the future. One of the things I most look forward to at this time is visiting Mayyim Hayyim. I have been to Mayyim Hayyim […]
Continue Readingby Karen Abraham, Mikveh Guide “A guest is coming to toivel.” “Toivel?” “To make new dishes ready for use. Take a look in the file drawer for more information.” I quickly set down the phone and opened the drawer. I found the two-page explanation about how to immerse kitchen items in the mikveh. It explained […]
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 Readingby Leah Robbins, Administrative and Marketing Assistant When I walked into my first day on staff at Mayyim Hayyim yesterday, I had tucked away the pain of this weekend’s horrific events that have been weighing so heavily on me. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have been wrought with fear and grief over […]
Continue Readingby Noah Aronson This year, I’ll be playing with the Noah Aronson Band at Mayyim Hayyim’s Milestones — Step by Step Spring Benefit. I’m thrilled to be able to share in the celebration of this incredible organization. I have had the opportunity twice in my life to immerse in a mikveh. Once on the side of a mountain in […]
Continue Readingby Julie Dean We stood together with eager anticipation, a palpable electricity among us. Over fifty women from all walks of life, gathered around the indoor swimming pool in Albuquerque, NM, which was about to become our mikveh. The rabbi with us skillfully crafted our spiritual space, igniting our hearts with awareness of this ancient […]
Continue Readingby Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker Even though my family emigrated from Eastern Europe in the early 20th century, my father always said he felt that his soul was part Sephardic. The music, the food, and the customs that evolved in the many countries Sephardim lived in were alluring to me, too. I was so captivated that […]
Continue Readingby Sarah Fendrick, Event Coordinator Spring awakens my senses — shades of green and pastel pinks emerge from the trees, a multitude of birds call, sweet smells of hyacinth and lilac beckon— spring makes me glad to be alive. The longer days are ripe with moments of reflection; the world around me awakens to possibilities […]
Continue Readingby Kelly Banker, Intern I have always been captivated by water. It holds a certain mystical quality, a kind of knowing. Growing up, my family spent our summers living in a cottage on a lake in New Hampshire, so water has been a staple of my life from an early age. Lakes, streams, rivers, waterfalls and […]
Continue ReadingSearch
SUMMER HEAT ADVISORY: We have new measures in place to combat the high summer temperatures which may affect your immersion.
