by Rachel Eisen, Director of Annual Giving
There are definitely quirks about working in a building that is centuries old. Oftentimes, no two rooms are the same temperature. Once, running a microwave knocked out the power on the third floor. But my favorite quirk is the way sound travels in this old house.
Whenever there is a celebratory immersion and people gather around to sing, the melodies and notes float up the stairs and around corners. There’s a lot of “siman tov” and “mazel tov” that comes my way. And frequently, it’s because we’ve just welcomed another new Jew into our community.
Mayyim Hayyim opened 12 years ago. There were so many reasons why this community needed a pluralistic mikveh—but one of the most urgent needs was to create a space where conversion could take place in a warm and celebratory—and most importantly, welcoming environment.
12 years and 2,430 conversions later, people come from far and wide to convert here because of our reputation. In the past few weeks, we’ve had visitors from as far away as England and Thailand, as well as those in our local community, of course. It’s no secret that you can throw a big party here to celebrate this joyous occasion. It’s no secret, and so we want to shout it to the world: we are in the business of welcoming. We’re proud to be known for inclusiveness and accessibility.
And so, in collaboration with the Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, we have produced a new Mayyim Hayyim film to show everyone what we’re all about. This new film, “Becoming Jewish: At the Water’s Edge,” demonstrates so beautifully the care everyone at Mayyim Hayyim takes to ensure that all people who come through our doors feel welcome. When the joyous sounds of singing make their way to my office, I always smile a little, reminded of what a special place this is.
See the film for yourself and share it with a friend:
Help welcome the new Jews in our community by making a gift to Mayyim Hayyim today.
Rachel Eisen is Mayyim Hayyim’s Director of Annual Giving. She is tone-deaf and glad the acoustics in the mikveh make everyone sound great. She’s so proud to come into work every day to ensure such an incredible place will exist today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.