Kesher Talk

Everything you need to know about liberal mikveh. I previously noted liberal Judaism's surge of interest in the tradition of chevra kadisha. Via the Havurah Institute email list, here are a number of resources on another Jewish observance which has always been a pillar of orthodox community, and which liberal Jews are now investigating. (Hey, we're slow some times.)

A mikveh run by non-orthodox Jews is being built in Boston, which means it will be open to use for non-orthodox conversions and other innovative rituals.

The Mikveh Makes a Comeback in the Conservative movement, which technically requires observance of taharat hamishpahah, although practice lags behind.

The idea of mikveh is bittersweet for me because as a result of surgery I no longer menstruate, so even if I were partnered and wanted to observe taharat hamishpahah, I would have no reason to go. A primarily orthodox mikveh (almost all of them so far) gives preference to married women ending their periods at any time and observant men right before Shabbat and holidays, but a woman can technically go to the mikveh to purify herself for the same reasons as a man, and I did so for the first time right before Yom Kippur last fall. The mikveh on the Upper West Side is clean and well-appointed, the mikveh ladies are sweet and encouraging of newbies, and it was a wonderful experience.

posted by Judith @ 3/30/2003 04:35:50 PM