Why I took the Men to the Mikvah

Mikvah Shoshanah, Portland’s women’s mikvah, is an exclusively women’s space. Within it, a woman can experience the blessing and serenity of mikvah in a space made sacred for her most intimate moment with the Creator.

Earlier today, I led a group of men there. Not because I wanted to intrude on that space, but because it is important that we understand the sanctity, sacredness, and unique role the mikvah plays in Jewish life.

Intimacy must remain intimate, personal, private, familiar, and close.

Mikvah belongs in that sacred space of Jewish life. It is where mothers bring their daughters on the eve of their wedding, where women pray and ask for the blessing of becoming mothers, and where the quiet rhythm of marriage, separation and renewal, is held with deep dignity.

I brought the men there because we all need to be aware of this hidden holiness, the cycle within marriage that renews connection, and the ritual that elevates the most physical aspects of life into something profoundly sacred.

My sister, Simi Mishulovin, directs Portland’s Mikvah Shoshanah with the support of her husband, Rabbi Chayim. Together, they lead the public-facing Jewish Oasis in the Pearl District, alongside this more private oasis for Jewish women. They are always happy to speak about their work and mission.

Mazal tov to them on the birth of their daughter, Fruma Sarah, over Pesach! May you raise her to Torah, Chuppah, and a life of good deeds, and may she continue the tradition of mikvah, following in the ways of her mother, grandmothers, and beyond.

http://JewintheCity.com and http://MikvahCalendar.com answer: What’s a mikvah? Who goes to it & why?