What do women in our community say about mikvah?
Excerpts from interviews – view the clips at www.greatmikvah.com
“I didn’t go the mikvah to make an exchange or to bargain with G-d. I had a flame that I wanted to rekindle. The atmosphere at the mikvah was calm and beautiful. I felt very much a peace. The lady in attendance was kind, gentle and discreet. It was private, it was tranquil and when I left the mikvah I think I felt a lot better for it…” - Hillary Lubner
“In addition to the G-dliness and spirituality inherent in the act of going to the mikvah, for me there are 2 really profound benefits of going to mikvah each month as a married woman. Firstly, the mikvah provides a carved out time each month, which allows me to be grateful and express my gratitude to Hashem for the many blessings in my life. We live in such busy times where everything is governed by meeting requests and technology, and so, to have a structure each month with allotted time for gratitude is really valuable to me. Secondly, Judaism has a deeply profound way of connecting with the human psyche and specifically, with the idea that we want what we can’t have. I believe that the Jewish laws of family purity are totally aligned with this concept. The idea that a husband and wife are physically off-bounds from one another for a period of time each month and then reconnected after the mikvah, plays a huge role in in bringing a new level of excitement into the relationship. - Sarah Hoffman
I feel so inspired by so many women in our community who are embracing this mitzvah for the first time in their lives or reconnecting to mikvah after 2, 5, or 50 (!) years since they got married. The root of the word Mikvah (kuf, vav, heh) means “hope.” The Mikvah can be a place where hope is actualized and where potential is awakened and strengthened. It is my hope that our Mikvah will continue to be a place where all of our dreams and prayers are heard and answered. A tremendous thank you to Dini and Evelyn for their time, heart & soul, and genuine sensitivity to the ladies who walk through our doors! – Feige Hazdan
“The decision to go the mikvah was not one that happened over night… I decided that I would take on this mitzvah in a feasible and realistic way by making short-term commitments. For example: I decided to go from just after Pesach until Rosh Hashana and then I decided to go from Rosh Hashana until Pesach; in this way I did not feel overwhelmed by this commitment. The mikvah itself is magnificent, appreciated even more so in the cold winter months with its underfloor heating and heated towel racks. It is spotlessly clean and can compete with bathrooms in the best hotels in the world… Dina the mikvah attendant is a very special lady and I have only ever been made to feel welcome, unjudged and beautiful. For me the experience of the mikvah is more spiritual and meaningful than anything I as a Jewess have ever done, even more so than lighting my Shabbos candles. I feel a deep closeness and connectedness to Hashem and also to my husband. Before immersion into the mikvah one says a beautiful prayer for one’s husband, marriage and children. I love this prayer as it grounds me and reminds me of what is really important in life – my husband, my marriage and my children - and makes me realize that so much of the other stuff we dwell on is really so unimportant. I can't lie - it is not always easy to keep this beautiful Mitzvah - the most difficult part for me is the preparation for the mikvah which usually falls midweek and in between homework and lifts - but when I arrive at the mikvah, the stress and tension melts away. I am largely a secular girl living a secular life and I don’t know if in years to come I will always fulfil this mitzvah, but I can say it will be a great pity if I don't, as the feeling of contentment I feel afterwards and the opportunity of closeness to Hashem is truly precious.” – Lisa Friedman
I was totally intimidated by the concept of mikvah and thought for years it was not for me. I am so grateful that I took the plunge - this experience will last with me as a Jewish woman for the rest of my life. I say to those dear to me: “Don’t think it’s not for you. It IS for you…” – Tali Salomon