For Mayyim Hayyim’s 12th cohort of Mikveh Guides, who will be trained this fall, we are especially seeking applications from Jews of Color, Indigenous, Sephardi, and Mizrahi Jews, transgender, and nonbinary Jews.
At Mayyim Hayyim, we slow down as the world speeds up by immersing in sacred waters as millions of Jews before us have done for thousands of years. We foster an embodied Jewish practice that was created by our people to heal our souls, mark life transitions, and seek the wisdom of our tradition and our ancestors as a guide to keep us on the path of justice and peace. One of our seven principles of common purpose is Ahavat Yisrael, Love of the Jewish People. We are a space where we all get to adapt the ritual of immersion to our own understandings and interpretations, and those joining the Jewish people are welcomed with the honor and dignity they deserve.
But our space is incomplete without the full participation of Jews of Color, Indigenous, Sephardi, and Mizrahi Jews, and transgender and nonbinary Jews in our organization. We know that we have more work to do as an institution in order to center these essential voices and experiences. In order to take the next step, we need you to be our Mikveh Guides. Mikveh Guides are the public face of Mayyim Hayyim, supporting guests as informal educators and tour guides, providing information and advice about immersion, and when asked, serving as witnesses for immersion. We want to ensure that our Guides are representative of the populations we serve, so as to be able to make all our guests as comfortable as possible and serve their unique needs. Who better to welcome your people than you?
We are always learning and we know that this is simply a place to start. As part of our ongoing efforts to make our mikveh more inclusive and accessible to Jews of all backgrounds, Mayyim Hayyim will also offer anti-racism training for staff and Mikveh Guides, as well as training around specific nuances of Sephardi and Mizrahi mikveh traditions. We also continue to provide training to Guides around LGBTQ issues, including pronoun practices for gender-neutral pronouns.
Come learn more at one of two information sessions about being a Mikveh Guide on September 18 at 12:30 or 6:30 PM. To RSVP, email Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director.
Training sessions will take place November 5, 12, 19, 26, December 3, 10 from 6:30 – 9:00 PM, and December 15 from 3 – 5:30 PM at Mayyim Hayyim. Applications are due October 6. Contact Lisa Berman at lisab@mayyimhayyim.org or 617-244-1836 ext. 205 with any questions.