by Anita Diamant, Mayyim Hayyim President and Founder Once upon a time, in 2001, five women signed legal papers petitioning the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to incorporate an independent non-profit entity to be called Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Education Center. The signatories were Dr. Paula Brody, Roz Garber, Judy Green, Rabbi Barbara Penzner […]
Continue Readingby Talia Schnur and Jody Comins, Development and Events Coordinator Talia: I came to the mikveh with my eighth grade class and the sixth grade class from MetroWest Jewish Day School (MWJDS). The visit was really fun because we got to learn why different people come to the mikveh, and how it works. We learned […]
Continue Readingby Laura Seide, Development intern A few months ago, I wrote about wanting to immerse in the mikveh to recognize my transition into secular adulthood. I expected to find renewal in the waters; what I did not expect to find was the self-acceptance I did not even know I needed. I still remember the first […]
Continue Readingby Julia Becker Collins, Director of Community Engagement When my husband and I were in our Introduction to Judaism class at Temple Beth Shalom, we had a class discussion about what is often called the “December Dilemma.” This is the coined phrase that surrounds the ‘conflict’ that appears to many interfaith families and couples at […]
Continue ReadingThis post originally appeared on JewishBoston.com, and was written by Sam Kaplan and Rachel Wilson on behalf of Reform Jewish Outreach Boston When I was introduced to Rachel by a mutual friend, I was told that she was my perfect match: cute, fun, and Jewish! Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad! Given the topic […]
Continue Readingby Ceceley Chambers, Cohort 7 Mikveh Guide As a Mikveh Guide I love to witness the joyful immersions: the bashful bride, the excited teen about to become a Bat Mitzvah, and of course the adorable children who are becoming Jewish. It’s fun to show an especially excited person around Mayyim Hayyim, and to hold their […]
Continue Readingby Ali Kaufman Yares Prior to getting married in 2004, I did a ton of studying and reading about marriage, ketubah (marriage contract), niddah (monthly immersions), hair covering, and even divorce in halacha (Jewish ritual law). After all, I was a Talmud major taking more classes than I needed to because I truly enjoyed studying […]
Continue Readingby Sherri Goldman, Administrative and Finance Director I like numbers. Actually, what I really like are the stories behind the numbers. I have come to realize that the whole world is based on numbers. Business, government, science, music, art and even nature can be looked at through a number filtered lens, what I call the […]
Continue Readingby Sidney Davis, Mikveh Guide My first witnessed immersion experience at Mayyim Hayyim was a remarkably extraordinary event. Personally, it was an affirmation of my role as a mikveh guide. I volunteered to become a mikveh guide because I wanted to take a more active role within my Jewish community that reflected not only my […]
Continue Readingby Leah Hart Tennen, Mikveh Center Director Last week I went to Atlanta with my family to celebrate my younger son’s and my nephew’s first birthdays. My sister-in-law and I were due one day apart, the babies are 9 days apart, and many members of our large extended family (there are almost 100 members of […]
Continue Readingby Patti Grossman Today, for the first time, I will immerse in the mikveh at Mayyim Hayyim. There have been many times in the past when I considered immersing, but I never did. Big birthdays, marriages of our children, the births of four grandchildren, anniversaries. Like most of us, I think, many of the exquisite experiences […]
Continue Readingby Rabbi Leslie Gordon This is not a blog entry about what it feels like to immerse in Mayyim Hayyim. Most narratives in this space provide moving descriptions of the tranquility of the pools, of the restorative powers of the living waters. This is a glimpse into what it feels like on the other side […]
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