Jade is a young woman in our community who recently came to the mikvah as a bride. Her mother and sister accompanied her, and after her immersion they shared a l’chaim and some personal heart-to-heart thoughts. Ady, her mom, mentioned that she had not been afforded the opportunity to go to mikvah as a bride as her rabbi only told her the concept of mikvah a few days before her wedding day. She had never before been to the mikvah! Inspired by her daughter’s excitement and deep appreciation for this mitzvah, she agreed to get together for a one-on-one outline of the laws of Family Sanctity. She prepared for her mikvah appointment with dedication and applied herself to all the details as she knew it would be the first and last time she could fulfill this mitzvah. With Ady's immersion, her two daughters both recommitted themselves to continuing to frequent the mikvah and there was a general energy in the family that surrounded a mother and her two daughters embracing the mitzvah. Mark was proud of his wife and daughters, and was inspired by the inner journey on which they had embarked. He was moved by their commitment to attaching themselves to something spiritual. He, too, found himself wanting to deepen his connection with Hashem. And that's how he decided to begin to put on tefillin...
In 1975, the Rebbe launched Mivtzah Taharat Hamishpocha, stirring Jewish women to take a mitzvah and turn it into a mivtzah – a campaign to reach out to as many people as possible. The Rebbe inspired creativity and excitement in presenting Taharas Hamishpocha to every Jewish woman. In the past, Taharat Hamishpocha was very often a subject that was too sensitive to address. There was a false sense that it would detract from one’s impact on a modern couple, and talking about mikvah might have been a liability for a Rabbi which he may have chosen not to communicate. The Rebbe’s mivtzah revolutionized the approach to the subject and transformed it into a powerful opportunity to engage families and get them involved.
It is with the inspiration from the Rebbe that our mikvah has drawn many, many women to come and experience this precious mitzvah. Women in our community who had clearly said: "It's not for me!" have asked to learn about mikvah and have decided to immerse once. Many have found themselves coming back. Women have expressed their feelings of belonging and of purpose. Please call us if you would like to have a casual discussion about mikvah or if you want to come see the mikvah. Then you can decide for yourself if you are ready to embrace this mitzvah.
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