A few weeks ago, at the mikveh, we were able to offer a guest from Buenos Aires a copy of our seven pre-immersion kavanot, intentions, in their first language – Spanish. Had Hebrew been their first language, we would be able to offer that, too.
We’ve worked with multiple different community groups and individuals to translate our kavanot, which allows us to provide an even more personalized and meaningful immersion experience. Currently, we have versions of our kavanot in English, Hebrew for women and for men, Spanish, and Portuguese (the last two created in partnership with Jewtina.) We also have a booklet of pictorial kavanot, which walks the guest through the preparation steps using images as well as simple English text.
These kavanot options are here for the same reason we have Hebrew transliteration on our ceremony sheets – to help create an inclusive and accessible ritual space for all Jews, regardless of what language they speak. The English kavanot are used most often here, as is unsurprising in suburban Massachusetts, but the option to choose a different language, one that a guest may be more comfortable with, can make all the difference in the world.
Eliot Mohrmann (they/them)
Mikveh Manager