Rebirthing Ourselves to Rebuild Our World: A Feminist Mikveh Guide

MikvehThe ritual bath. The waters of the mikveh symbolically purify – they are seen as waters of rebirth. A convert immerses in the mikveh as part of conversion. Many Orthodox married women go to the mikveh following their period and before resuming sexual relations. Couples go to the mikveh before being married. Many, including some men, immerse before Yom Kippur; some go every Friday before Shabbat. is an ancient Jewish cleansing ritual performed in a sacred bath or in a natural body of water. We can participate in a mikveh ceremony to mark moments of transition, to make our souls and bodies feel holy, and to metaphorically rebirth ourselves and start anew. This guide (download full PDF below) seeks to use mikveh as a tool of empowerment and strives to be inclusive to all genders and experiences. Mikveh is a Jewish technology that allows us to look back and consider where we have come from and what has shaped us, while look forward and set intentions for the future. Throughout the mikveh we also remain present in our bodies to perform rituals that help us to manifest our future intentions and wash away the things we want to let go of.