Kicking off Kindergarten at the Mikveh

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by Amber Caulkins, Director of Rising Tide “I love the mikveh. The water is so warm.” These were the words of my five year-old daughter, Rebecca, as she sat at the breakfast table, a half-eaten bowl of cereal in front of her, looking at a picture she had drawn the day before. The picture, drawn […]

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Pressing Pause on Bat Mitzvah Madness

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by Kim Creem This past May was my daughter Lily’s Bat Mitzvah at Temple Emanuel in Newton, where we have been members for over 15 years. She had been at Temple Emanuel for both preschool and Hebrew school and was completing her last year at Makor at Hebrew College in the spring. Over the years, […]

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Clear Water, Clear Thinking

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Reposted with permission from Fresh Ideas from HBI: The Hadassah Brandeis Institute Blog by Elana Luban When I first heard about the annual Gilda Slifka summer intern’s trip to Mayyim Hayyim, I wasn’t quite sure what could be groundbreaking or ideologically feminist about a mikveh. My first two mikveh trips shaped my life and my […]

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My Budding Feminist

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by Leah Bieler All four of my kids inherited things from me: some good, and some bad. And since I tend to be a bit strong-willed – some might even say stubborn – it’s no surprise that trait got passed down to all four of them…must be a dominant gene. But my younger daughter, Nili […]

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Back to Work

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by Lauren Korn Spring is the season for renewal and new starts. My season of new beginnings started while we were still in fear of having snow days. My name is Lauren, and I have been a stay-at-home mom for the past 10 years. That phrase took a long time for me to be able to […]

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Water Wonders: Family Fun at the Mikveh

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by Shira Cohen-Goldberg, Board Member Where are we going, Momma? To a special program, just you and me. What is the program? We are going to learn about water and a special place in our community called Mayyim Hayyim. What does Mayyim Hayyim mean? Is that Hebrew? What are we going to do there? Can […]

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Sunday Fun-day at Water Wonders: A Parent’s Perspective

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by Dalia Wassner On a chilly, fall morning, my 3 kids and I headed out to Brandeis, excited to participate in our first Water Wonders, a Mayyim Hayyim family program for children in grades K-2. Mayyim Hayyim has been a special place for me since the day before my own wedding, just over 10 years […]

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A Gift for Mom

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Excerpts from Keeping the Faith: How Compromise, Curiosity and Tradition Guide One Interfaith Family, by Abigail Mnookin Reflections before the mikveh: For my mom’s 70th birthday this month, my brother and I are giving her an unusual gift. Her four grandchildren will be immersed in a ritual bath, or mikveh, which symbolizes their conversion to […]

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Blessings and Decoupage – Creating Together

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by Tammi Levy-Cantor It’s been a busy year for our family. Our child will be invited to and attending almost 60 Bar and Bat Mitzvahs from her classmates at the Rashi School, her camp family, our actual family, and long time friends. My husband, son, and I have also been incredibly fortunate to share in […]

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Giving Thanks to Mayyim Hayyim

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by Carrie Bornstein, Executive Director Last week a 12-year old girl decided to immerse at Mayyim Hayyim prior to becoming a Bat Mitzvah. As is the often the case, she led the way by bringing in her step-mother and grandparents, all of whom were skeptical about visiting a mikveh. Resolute in her plans, she calmly […]

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My Life in Snapshots at Mayyim Hayyim

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by Jenna Margolis I was little when my cousin converted to Judaism, but I distinctly remember watching my aunt hold her own breath as she released her new baby into the water. After several dunks in the Mayyim Hayyim mikveh, the child was Jewish, according to our rabbi. My family rejoiced, my aunt breathed again, […]

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Reflections on “Water Wonders” For Families with Children Grades K-2

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by Susan Morrel, Jewish Educator for Mayyim Hayyim’s “Water Wonders”  I am often astounded by the questions early elementary school children ask. They are so full of wonder and curiosity, seeing the world through a lens of awe, fascination, and joy. Not surprisingly, they love to learn about the natural world, particularly water, a mysterious and […]

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