No Water in the Mikveh

Posted on:

By Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker I recently led a congregational mission to Cuba where, among many things, we visited an Orthodox synagogue in Havana.  One of the lay leaders, Ya’akov, spoke to our group about the synagogue’s history, its members, their services, and their practices.  In the chapel, tarnished Torah crowns adorned the bimah, and […]

Continue Reading

Water as Life

Posted on:

By Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker, Scholar-in-Residence I imagine that most Mayyim Hayyim blog readers know that mayyim hayyim translates as “living waters.” But what does it mean for waters to be living? According to the physical requirements of a mikveh, mayyim hayyim refers to the living waters that come from a flowing source which has […]

Continue Reading