by Amber Caulkins, Director of the Rising Tide Mikveh Network
Last week I traveled to Washington, D.C. to visit the Adas Israel Community Mikvah and while there, I participated in their Bodies of Water program. As one of our partners in developing our Rising Tide Mikveh Network, I’d heard about their work around body positivity from a Jewish perspective. Their award-winning program explores mindful eating, Jewish yoga, and mikveh as different ways to connect with the body.
My colleague, Lisa Berman, and I had the opportunity not only to participate in their thought-provoking, engaging program, but to learn more about how the ritual of mikveh is integrated into the Adas Israel community. We were so grateful to Naomi Malka, their Director of Immersive Experiences and the creator of the Bodies of Water program, for helping us get a closer look at her community.
Visiting Adas Israel Community Mikvah was an incredible opportunity to learn and connect with others: a father and his two daughters, a grandmother, young men and women, among many others—all coming together from different walks of life to learn about the ways we can use mikveh as a tool to honor our bodies.
I look forward to sharing more exciting stories in the coming months as we continue to learn more about the creative ways communities around the world are innovating ritual and mikveh, and as we prepare to launch the Rising Tide Mikveh Network into the Jewish world.
Amber Caulkins is the Director of the Rising Tide Mikveh Network.