by Amber Caulkins, Director of The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network
I don’t know about you, but I want to live in a world where a mikveh is part of every Jewish community. The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network is bringing what was once a distant dream to life. Through our growing network of welcoming mikva’ot, we can change the dialogue about mikveh and move from: “Why do we need a mikveh in our community?” to: “We need a mikveh. How can we make that happen?”
Through Rising Tide, we are helping to move the conversation forward so that along the journey toward meaningful connection to Jewish life and the search for places of healing, compassion, and peace, Jews everywhere will breathe easy knowing there is a mikveh available for them, just as they are.
There have been many stories (like this, this, and this one, too) shared over the years on the Mayyim Hayyim blog that make it profoundly clear why the ritual of mikveh is so important, and why it is critical that we make it more accessible, inclusive and available to all.
To do this, we need you. If you are reading this, if you believe, like I do, that the mikveh is a Jewish ritual that belongs to all of us, wherever we are, I invite you to join us for our inaugural Rising Tide Summer Gathering on August 13-15 at Pearlstone Center in Maryland.
You may be thinking, “I’m not part of an existing mikveh community. What could I have to gain from such a gathering?” We say, “Tons!” Here are some folks we’d love to have a seat at the table:
- Clergy who regularly bring congregants to the mikveh and are interested in finding more ways to connect people to their Judaism through an embodied practice like ritual immersion
- Educators (synagogues, day schools, etc.) who have developed mikveh programs in the past or are looking to in the future
- Board members who want to better understand how to be engaged and support the work of mikveh
- Community members who want to help bring the vision of a welcoming mikveh to life in their own community
- Mikveh Guides/Attendants who are always looking for ways to be supportive and deepen their own mikveh knowledge
- Volunteers who want to become more involved in a welcoming mikveh and are looking for ways to be engaged
- Members of synagogues who are supportive of mikveh and want to be more involved
This is more than a retreat, conference or meeting. This is a historical moment for each of us to bring our unique stories, skills, and fierce commitment to Jewish life, to build a collective vision for the future of mikveh. Don’t waste another second! Register now. I hope you see you there!
Amber Caulkins is the Director of The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network.