By Sheri Gurock, Incoming Board President There’s only one dream I can vividly remember having as a child. If I told you it was about the mikveh, would you believe me? It’s true. One day, when I was very young, I overheard my mom say she’d bumped into a friend at the mikveh. I’d never […]
Continue ReadingBy Jane Matlaw, former Board Member When my children were young, they got something small each night of Hanukkah. Growing up, my parents had demonstrated the importance of giving back and I wanted to pass this value onto my children, as well. I wanted not just to talk about, but actually engage in philanthropy. We […]
Continue Readingby Lisa Berman, Mikveh and Education Director I saw the new movie, Spotlight, last weekend. I felt geographically required to, as I did with Black Mass. I root for the Pats and the Sox, and I go see the movies about Boston scandals (okay, and ones with Matt and Ben, too); it’s what we do. […]
Continue Readingby Susan Neiman, Mikveh Guide I’ve been a mikveh guide for about a year and a half. I usually come to Newton once a month and I try to stay for about 3-5 hours at a stretch, especially because I live quite a distance away. I try to pick a day with lots of activity, […]
Continue Readingby Carrie Bornstein Thanksgiving is over, which means that most of us are back to mile-a-minute multi-tasking as our noses fall right back onto that grindstone. Over the years I’ve seen practices emerge, celebrated on Facebook and elsewhere, about adopting an attitude of Gratitude, a.k.a. The Gratitude Challenge, #givingthanks, and #365Grateful. I’ll admit – while […]
Continue Readingby Rabbi Ilana C. Garber I love everything about the mikveh – the warm waters, the transitions and transformations, the healing and hope. I had immersed in the mikveh long before I was married: marking yahrzeit for my father z”l, becoming a rabbi, and moving to a new town and new job. Then I immersed […]
Continue Readingby Kelly Banker, Mayyim Hayyim Intern As we move into the Hebrew month of Kislev, the weather gets colder and the light becomes increasingly scarce. I find myself continually reminded of what the darkness can do, the stillness it can bring. Kislev, a month that literally means “in the pocket of the heart,” is a time […]
Continue Readingby Ashley Loc “The main difference is that hope is based on precedent, while faith is the strength to believe when there may never be proof.” Button-down shirt, slightly wrinkled pants, and a distinct hairline. With his almond-toe oxfords never ceasing to slam against the floor, my 8th grade History teacher is still worth remembering five years […]
Continue Readingby Rachel Eisen, Mayyim Hayyim Intern I remember a story my mother once told me. At the beginning of her career, my mother, who holds two doctoral degrees from an elite university, was accepted into a prestigious research fellowship in her field. But she turned this incredible opportunity down, because her would-be boss told her […]
Continue Readingby Leeann Simons, Mikveh Guide Ten years ago, I became a member of Mayyim Hayyim. At my friend’s invitation, I agreed to go on a tour of this new place. As soon as I walked in the door, I decided: this is it–I am coming here to celebrate my 50th birthday. Since then, I have […]
Continue Readingby Walt Clark When I think about milestones, ten year milestones are an important marker. Whether it is celebrating multiple decades of marriage, working somewhere, or seeing a child’s 10th birthday, we think these moments are worth celebrating. Everyday people come to Mayyim Hayyim to mark milestones. Birthdays. Anniversaries. End of life. Transitions. They come […]
Continue ReadingBy Shira M. Cohen-Goldberg I grew up listening to Marlo Thomas’s “Free to be You and Me,” a compilation of songs and stories geared towards children that immerses the listener in the progressive values of the early 70’s: gender equity, individuality, tolerance, and comfort with one’s identity. In the world of “Free to Be,” Atalanta […]
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