What Is A Mikvah?
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- Опубликовано: 6 авг 2012
- JewintheCity.com and MikvahCalendar.com answer: What's a mikvah? Who goes to it & why? (click "more" for rest of credits)
Director of Photography: Elie Gabor elie@eliecreative.com
co-special effects by Elie Gabor and Jack Kamhaji craftv.com
clothes by Junees.com
stylist Sharon Langert fashion-isha.com
makeup: Jenna Hanley jennahanley.com and Bleema Weinstein / bleemasheadquarters
music by: Shalsheles "Esah Einai"
wig stylist Suzannah Luchins nechama31@gmail.com
production assistants: David Khabinsky, Lisa Dolan, Annie Dolan
Thank you to the Teaneck Mikvah for allowing us to film there!
I love the idea of the Mikvah. It's like a physical and spiritual spa day. Beautiful.
We mentioned in the script itself that there's no makeup 7 we filmed hands without polish. But my face was already made up for filming & it's not like I was ACTUALLY preparing for a dunk! We got to that scene & I was thinking about the emotion on my face, concentrating on the blessing, but no one (at the time) thought of taking my makeup off. But, thank God, of all the things to go wrong, it's pretty minor IMO and we're very happy with how the video came out overall! :)
My mom went to a Mikvah before she married my father, and when she was trying to conceive. I plan to do the same thing. Most people in my community usually go to the Pacific Ocean for their Mikvah because they are converting. It’s very beautiful and can’t wait to fulfill this deed.
yes, but there is nothing like getting to reunite with the one you love after you've been forced to be apart. it's pretty incredible!
why don’t you make more vids like this??? they’re so informative, fun, and highlight the beauty of the customs and traditions of Judaism
We have a bunch more. Look at our myths and misconceptions section.
There was only so much I could include in vid, but I wish I had also said that 1 of the most important mitzvos a person can do is mais mitzva- burying a dead person-b/c she can never repay u. But any1 who touches a dead person also has a lowered state of holiness. It's an effect of coming into contact with a void of life. I don't see it as a negative-I see it as a certain reality of the cyclical nature of a woman. The moon waxes and wanes-is that a negative? Going down allows a chance to go up.
It's a great question! The community fund raises to get it built usually. And annual fund raisers are usually held after its built, in order to keep it running. And then there is a fee to use it, just like synagogues have fees for membership. The range is (depending on the country and mikvah) is usually between $5-$20 per visit. HOWEVER, for anyone who couldn't afford this, they wouldn't be turned away.
I kind of wish I could do this. It sounds like a very pretty ceremony.
My pleasure! Look-I wasn't raised Orthodox & I was convinced that women were 2nd class citizens before I became religious, but my experiences overall in the community in over 15 yrs have been so positive & I've seen so much respect for women. I've met a couple jerks along the way-but those are jerky pple, not the religion. And going on my 12th anniversary, I can tell you, the power of the mikvah rhythm makes a husband (in most cases) long for his wife and her for him. It's truly incredible.
Ty for this beautiful video.
I just found your channel by accident and I'm so glad I did, because your videos are so inspirational. I live in Brooklyn, and have been religious all my life, but your explanations of the different things we do as Jews make me appreciate the mitzvohs, as opposed to just doing them by rote. Your insight is a great example of the way the internet can by used in a positive way. I will definitely telling all my friends about this channel!!!
I love your videos!!! They are so educational. I am a huge fan!!
So beautifully explained!
This is the the Teaneck, NJ mikvah, but there are SO many beautiful mikvahs around the world these days.
Wait I just found this channel and I AM OBSESSED!!!
I can definitely see that, and I can see the appeal of the mikvah, for sure! Thanks for the informative and well produced videos. I think you're doing a very important thing here. And I appreciate your approachability and willingness to engage in positive discussion as part of your outreach. Todah rabah!
thanks! great question! the mikvah water covers the body up to the chest for most people and while we're saying the blessing/praying we wrap our arms around our waist to separate the lower half of the body from the upper half b/c you're right - nudity and prayer normally don't mix! but being surrounded by the water as you pray can feel as though you're being enveloped can be very spiritual if you think of yourself as naked and vulnerable and God's presence fully surrounded you
actually, there's a rabbinic prohibition for unmarried women using the mikvah (other than in the case of converting).
Wow...you answered so many questions I had but didn't know who to ask. Nice video and tastefully done.
Thanks for clearing that up! Love these videos - both entertaining and educational!
I was so nervous about going to the Mikvah as an Orthodox Jew it is essential to go thanks
Wow! Thanks so much! The truth is that my original intention in starting JITC was to show the non-Orthodox world about Orthodox Jews, but it's such a wonderful surprise that we're able to inspire the FFB crowd too! thanks for helping to spread the word!
Love your videos. I wish I had something like this that gives me hope and a fresh start . Please make more video. Can you educate us on what it means to keep kosher
her the difference in genders was a big issue. She had been part of a world which said that no differences were inherent but were instead societal constructs. She didn't think either side could ever be proven 100% one way or another, but the Jewish learning and observing she was doing was so meaningful, she decided she'd accept the gender role model and she's been living very happily as an Orthodox Jewish woman ever since then. For me the difference have always been obvious-of course there are
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thanks! the outfit is from Junees - click "more" under the video description for a full list of credits.
Thanks for the thoughtful and friendly response.
But, honestly, you don't see anything problematic with the idea that a non-pregnant woman is in a "lowered state of holiness"? Does this mean that a man is *always* in a lower state of holiness, compared to an ovulating woman? Or that a postmenopausal woman is less holy than a younger woman, or an infertile woman less holy than a fertile one? Etc., etc.
I think it's a bit reductive, defining women's holiness by their reproductive capacity.
These are great questions! A man is required by Jewish law to marry - a woman is not, but once a woman marries, she (like a man) is obligated to have children. Homsexuality is a whole different discussion - it's an important one - but there's no room for a proper answer here. But you did hit something on the head - Judaism believes that men & women are different. My sister, who was far more into feminism in the academic sense (she minored in it) than I ever was, also became religious & for (cont
I am a Catholic who is studying Religions in College vary closely. I am focusing on my own Catholic Faith and it's relation to the Jewish Faith. I have a informative speech coming up, on Jewish life. XD and I am SO glad I found you!
that is such a beautiful life. Great Job on the show! G-d Bless!
Thanks! This video and the last video had clothes sponsored by Junees. Sharon Langert of fashion-ishadotcom was the stylist. But I buy clothes in real life at all different places - just keep my eye out for long enough skirts/sleeves and grab them when I find them
Thanks for the profound explanation, and for sharing.
Pretty cute and educational video. Thanks for posting.
Amazing job in explaining a ritual that is unfortunately viewed as repressive. Your videos provide much needed illumination to areas of our heritage that are misunderstood in today's society. If I had made my video on circumcision as awesome as yours I probably would not have had as many negative comments.
I absolutely love your videos!!
I have a question: I'm sefardic, not engaged or even dating, but will I be aloud to wear a sheitel once iy"h I get married?
Thanks!!
I love this series, but I always want more more more... Does anyone have another informative series that they'd recommend?
Thanks that was really helpful,
As a non-Jew, I've always been fascinated by this special women/God-only time. I think anyone of any faith would do well to include rituals that speak to humility, connection and new-beginnings. Loved this!
i luv this. used to live by the mikvah nr leicester road, mancs. x.
Great job as usual!!! Keep them coming!! What a kiddush Ha-shem!
Couples who observe this commandment actually have two beds which they push together and separate depending on the time of the month. This commandment only applies to married women.
Mazel tov!! No need to be nervous. And after you say your bracha, make sure to always take time for personal prayer. Don't worry - the mikvah lady will wait for you! Make sure to take advantage of the auspiciousness of the moment!
Good question! We didn't think of it at the time! These videos are tons and tons and work and we try to get everything as perfect as possible in them, but that was, unfortunately, an oversight.
Beautiful video...and beautiful mikvah! btw...where do you shop? You always have the most stylish tznius clothing! Where in particular do you purchase your shirts?
Thank you JITC!! I LOVE your mission of bringing us these Jewish keys. I'm always left SOO enlightened. I recommend you to my Christian friends for elucidation on many things we take for granted in our faith: the roots of our faith. :) Please, DON'T STOP! :)
These "OLD" Jew in the city videos were awesome, it's a shame that you stopped them.
We did the hair covering one a year ago. We’re not filming anything now. But we have more plans to whenever coronavirus lets up.
Love it~
:) I only thought of it because that's like the biggest part of preparation!
So that's the new Teaneck Mikva! I haven't been there in almost a decade (before the new building) and even then, it was only for the men's hours on Erev Rosh Hashana and Erev Yom Kippur. Women's Mikvaos are getting more and more posh.
You have a right to these questions and opinions. I guess I don't see Judaism as just another "old fashioned religious system," I see something so unique about our history, everything we've been through- a need to keep it going for my kids. My goal here isn't to tell anyone else what to believe or how to live, it's to show what it means to me and if anyone wants to learn more for herself, help her get the tools to do it. I can't make my meaning someone elses only talk about what this does 4 me.
What a beautiful mikvah! Where is this located
Once again, I appreciate this beautiful response. Even though my meaning is different, I really respect you and admire your work. Thanks for engaging in earnest. It's been a real pleasure. Can't wait to see the next video, too.
Yes, Mazel tov & Congratulations!
where on earth is this mikvah?! i've been going for many a year, and have never seen one this nice. what am i missing?!
Teaneck, NJ. someone's gotta build them like that, then!!
I think this is now my favorite video, b/c I learned something new & interesting w/ it. So, the woman emerging from the mikva waters is like the primordial Earth emerging from the primordial waters? Thus she becomes symbolically like Mother Earth, ready (in potentia, in theory) to receive new life. It is a very beautiful image.
Now the primordial waters were gathered into seas, so would ocean water qualify for a mikva? My veggie garden wouldn't think it "living waters, but the fish like it.
it's one at a time, very private and discrete.
Thank you for your videos! I'm glad I found your channel. After my trip to Israel I wrote an album about spiritual New Age Judaism. The CD sold over 500,000 copies in French and Hebrew. While I don't identify as religious any longer I also enjoy the celebration of life daily. Washing my hands and other rituals.
the attendant is very modest. she holds your robe up over her head while it's off of you and doesn't look until you're covered by the water. once you're done and walking out, same thing, robe held up high, total privacy. it's supposed to be a modest experience but someone does need to insure that you dunked completely.
Your best video yet! Thank you for sharing! For those wanting to read more on the subject.... "The Jewish Way in Love and Marriage" by Maurice Lamm, 1980, pp. 191-194.
I agree! That turquoise and white number caught my attention the moment it hit the screen! Awesome outfit! I would buy that for my gf, for sure! Blessings to your stylist. They are doing an amazing job. #my2cents
also - I love your stylish and modest clothing.
I learned something new today.
Good luck on your speech!
Where is this mikvah? It looks amazing and nothing like the one where I live.
+Chana Kornfeld Teaneck, New Jersey
Wow....so much to know...
our mikveh in Baltimore is like a spa, too.
Exellent tank you
Thanks! U're right that Hasidic is a type of Orthodox Judaism-I was inferring something into the question (which the commenter may or may not have been asking) and that is "is there a difference between Hasidic and non-Hasidic Orthodox Jews?" I don't actually know if s/he meant that
There are differences when it comes to mikvah - there are some groups that have a different way the mikvah is structured, a different number of dunks, and different prep that's required, but we're all Orthodox Jews.
So how did the plandememic affect the entire issue? Were Mikvas not done for two years?
They were done with social distancing, with people self-reporting if they had been exposed or had symptoms. Similar protocol to going to a doctor.
I am not jewish, but I love Jew in the city! It is an amazing resource of education!
Yeah, I will of course do that, but I just questioned myself if you had an idea about that, or if you know any sefardic women that wear sheitels?
(Btw I adore your sheitel...!)
Hey that is me at 4:29! Video is great, keep 'em coming.......
This is absolutely fascinating!!!! I would love to do this but I am not Jewish. :-( I see incredible (profound) similarities/links/meanings between this practice and practices of my faith. It actually chokes me up. God is absolutely awesome. I just subscribed to your channel. Love it. LOVE it. :-)
I have the feeling that this isn't like my grandmother's mikvah. I would like to add that my husband went into the Arizal Mikvah (men do it too!) when we were in Sfat and he complained that it was frigid!
Why is the woman in the beginning of the video ( asking what a mikveh is ) sound like Snow White in the seven Dwarfs?
Outstanding ( and quite laxurious lol ) glimpse into the Hasidic world . Beautiful :-)
thanks! but for the record we're not Hasidic. Hasidim are a type of Orthodox. we're a different type.
Please forgive my ignorance. Which school of Judaism are you following ? I asumed Hassid because of the sheitel :-) Hachem bless you . Mizrahi women usually cover with a scraff now am little confused lol
dc003864 many non-Hasidic women wear wigs. i wear lots of different head covering depending on what looks best with my outfit that day! i'd call myself centrist or right wing Modern Orthodox
Was there a problem during Covid?
So from what I understand, Mikvah's are only for married women? A non-married woman would not need to perform a Mikvah?
It's truly sad that in such a spiritual place the Mikvas in Israel are not as nice as they are here. When I was there for a month one summer with my family I tried two Mikvas highly recommended in Jerusalem and they were both really poorly maintained and well, kinda icky. Israeli people, collect some money and build some beautiful mikvas!!
Also, how long does it takes?
Between 25 min - 45 min depending on if you come fully prepared or not.
Thanks and I do know Sephardic women who wear sheitels. There's a pretty well known Sephardic sheitel macher in Flatbush who's married to a rabbi and wears a sheitel.
This is a complext topic! Orthodox Jews are broken up into more than just Hasidic & non-Hasidic (also known as misnagdim). Hasidus was founded as a way to connect its followers to God thru joy, prayer, & song as opposed to a focus on Torah learning. Nowadays, Hasidim do plenty of learning, but there are still more into the mystical elements of Judaism as opposed to the more rational ones. Hasidim also have a special relationship with their "rebbe" and have many diff customs than non-Hasidim.
How come the lady is wearing makeup while saying the bracha?
Looking forward to that spiritual experience of renewal
How much would this cost every month?
Depends on the location. Fancier ones might be $20 but they never turn anyone away who can’t afford it.
Okay, I think you just answered my question -- so the attendant stays in the room with you the whole time? Don't you want some privacy?
exceptions-boys that are naturally more feminine, girls that are naturally more masculine, people who are born with same sex attraction. I see all these things as tests. Tests 4 the person experiencing it-tests 4 us 2 B compassionate. I was born into a very happy secular life but realized at 8 that nothing lasts & that my life had no purpose. When I discovered religious Judaism, I saw the purpose of living was not about happiness alone but living for a greater purpose, even when it's a struggle.
I LOVE that outfit! Where do you get your amazing clothes?!?
it's totally not a physical cleansing - you need to be clean before you immerse in the mikvah, but the point is not for the pre-clean you do ahead of time, it's about the power of the water coming directly from the sky (with no interruption) that gives the mikvah water a special spiritual power. but yes, preparation can be done at home.
You'll need to go into a mikvah when you convert - the rabbis will explain what to do then!
What happens if someone can't afford this experience?
They can go for free.
Haha! Cute Bernadette impression!
I have a strange and somewhat tacky question. Does going to the mikvah cost money? Who pays for this luxurious mikvah? It really is beautiful!
Where do lesbian women, infertile women, and women who simply do not want children fit into this world? I can just about see your point about religious Judaism valuing women as a form of feminism, but it seems the entire value rests on rigid gender roles. That's just not something most of us want to buy into, having finally gotten a taste of liberation after 100,000 years of patriarchy, with its involuntary marriage and motherhood.
BIG BANG THEORY . THAT IS BERNADET FROM BIG BANG THEORY PERFECT.
Ahhh!!! Your sheitel is so pretty!! Aside from that, amazing video! You make your fellow orthodox Jews proud (:
just for fun! if you want The Big Bang Theory, the blond character, Bernadette, kind of talks like that. just a way to change up the character a bit.
2:21... "but no one ever talks about who she sought the mikvah the night of the immersion..." "Who she sought the mikvah"?? Perhaps I'm not hearing correctly, but I don't understand that part of the sentence grammatically. Are you saying no one talks about why they're there? The "who" is also throwing me off... isn't this just for married Jewish women in relation to their husbands? I don't understand. What exactly are they keeping discreet?
Who she “saw.” We are discreet about who we see there.
Is the Mikvah free or does it cost money to attend?
it costs money for upkeep (in Israel I paid $5, in the NY area more like $15-$18) but if a person doesn't have money for it, they can go anyway
Jew in the City
Is it supported by temples? How can they stay operating for those costs?
Philo Sophia the communities support them. if a community only has money for a mikvah or a synagogue, a mikvah comes first.
not all mikvahs are this nice! there are many simple ones. mikvah at its most basic level is about rebirth, being enveloped completely as you consider God's presence totally surrounding you - not to mention the impact it has on one's marital life. mikvah can be a deeply moving experience - it is NOT simply a trip to a spa!
Sure! I'm a thoughtful and friendly gal! ;) So a post-menopausal woman who has dunked in a mikvah remains in the higher state indefinitely. A non-pregnant woman has the higher status after she dunks. I see the differences between men & women to be a positive thing - I embrace the stuff that makes me uniquely womanly. I think it's an amazing opportunity we get to have renewal each month - that there's a Jewish law that is so connected to our rhythm.
let me clarify - i've been to some very nice mikvas - and the mikva itself is just as nice - the prep area isn't as spa like and luxurious - there are some great mikvas in israel