By Bev Klau, Director of Programs and Partnerships
This past Sunday, Rising Tide’s Open Water Mikveh Network kicked off our 13th cohort of online Mikveh Guide training. Over thirty participants Zoomed for this live orientation session co-hosted by Bev Klau, Mayyim Hayyim’s Director of Programs and Partnerships, and Aki Yonekawa, the Manager of Rising Tide. Cohort 13 includes people of all genders, a variety of Jewish backgrounds and observance, and from all over the country including California, Maine, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin. Plus, we have over a dozen cohort members from the Soul Center Mikvah in Baltimore.
The partcipants in this course are divided into chevrutah (learning partners) in groups of 2 and 3. Over the years we have learned that this chevruta model supports individual learning and reflection of the material, and gives the students accountability buddies to work through the self-paced 8-week modules. Each chevruta group is matched with a Mentor Mikveh Guide, an experienced volunteer Mikveh Guide from Mayyim Hayyim, who is an available resource and will meet with their mentees to process what they are learning in the course.
“Eager, excited and grateful” were the sentiments shared as the orientation came to a close, and the course officially began. Cohort 13 will meet over zoom in November for a mid-way check in and a class on niddah (laws of family purity) taught by Mayyim Hayyim’s Hebrew College interns Yael Marans and Sivan Piatigorsky- Roth. We will end the course with a zoom siyyim (closing gathering) celebration.
What a great way to start 5786 (the new Jewish year)!