An increase in mikvah use encourages
one shul to renovate as another
community mikvah makes plans for a
new facility.
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
mildew, a persistent problem pri-
or to the renovation.
"We would dean it all the time,
but the mold was all over the
place," Ms. Shear said. "We
couldn't keep up with it."
The increase in mikvah use at
Bais Chabad is part of a local
trend. Of the four mikva'ot in the
area, all report a greater use in
the past year.
At Temple Israel in West
Bloomfield, the new mikvah has
drawn several dozen users, most-
ly accessing the facilities for con-
versions.
At Congregation Beth Achim
in Southfield, the mikvah attracts
about 150 people each year, some
having come regularly from
Grand Rapids and Arm Arbor to
access the Conservative mikvah
facilities.
The mikvah, utilized by a few
for ritual purity, is mostly used
for conversions and also sees an
increase in traffic before Yom
Kippur.
"We require mikvah for all
non-Jews desirous of conversion,"
said Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz of
Beth Achim. "Some also use it for
family purity and we see many
people coming before Yom Kip-
pur. That is a very busy time for
us."
At Mikvah Israel's ritual bath
facility in Oak Park, an increase
in members in the Women's Or-
thodox League has translated to
more use of the facilities.
"In the past 10 years, the us-
age of the mikvah has doubled,"
said Avrohom Plotnik, the im-
mediate past president and a for-
mer chairman of Mikvah Israel.
"We went from 150 a month to
more than 300."
In fact, those who run that
mikvah are planning a larger fa-
cility on the 10 Mile Road Jewish
Community Campus that will be
open to women in the communi-
ty, leaving the current facility to
be used mostly by men who seek
ritual immersion.
Mr. Plotnik said active mem-
bers of Mikvah Israel have
scoured the United States in
search of amenities to include in
the new mikvah. Organizers are
currently considering state-of-
the-art plumbing and heating
systems which will be computer
controlled.
Ground is expected to be bro-
ken for the mikvah in May and
construction is planned to take
one year to complete. The new fa-
cility is expected to cost $800,000
to $1 million. El
2 To schedule an appoint-
ment for a local mikvah, call
one of the following numbers:
• Sara Tugman Bais
Chabad Torah Center in
West Bloomfield, (810)
855-788-2552 or (810) 967-
1853.
• Mikvah Israel in Oak
Park, (810) 967-0289.
• Congregation Beth Achim,
(810) 352-8670.
• Temple Israel, (810) 661-
5700.
Above:
A new exhaust system
at the Bais Chabad
Torah Center helps to
cut down on
condensation and
mold growth.
Right: •
New amenities at the
West Bloomfield
mikvah include tile
work and mold-
resistant walls.
Family Purity Is Followed By Observant Jews
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
I
aharas hamishpachah, the mitz-
vah of family purity, joins the keep-
ing of kosher and of the Sabbath
as the three major ritual com-
mandments that mark the lifestyles of
observant Jews.
During the time a woman is men-
struating and for seven days after, a cou-
ple is forbidden from having sexual
relations. Some are strictly observant in
that they will not touch, pass things to
each other or share the same bed. Oth-
ers are less so, restraining from deep
physical expressions of love but contin-
uing to share a bed, for example.
After the seventh day, the woman im-
merses in the mikvah, prayers are said
and relations can continue.
Prior to immersion, a woman must go
through preparations to make sure she
is completely clean. This includes the
trimming of fingernails and the removal
of makeup, jewelry and bandages.
An assistant is usually present dur-
ing the immersion to make sure the
prayers are said correctly and to ensure
that the woman is fully immersed two
to three times.
The mitzvah of family purity — in ad-
dition to visits by women to the mikvah,
some very observant men will observe
the mitzvah after sexual relations and
before the Sabbath and holy days —
while widely followed by Orthodox cou-
ples, is not as strictly adhered to in oth-
er denominations.
In Conservative circles, the mikvah is
used mostly for conversions for which
immersion is required. Some brides use
the mikvah prior to their wedding; oth-
ers in the community use it once a year
in the days before Yom Kippur as a way
of ritually cleansing themselves before
the Day of Atonement.
A small amount of Conservative Jews
follow the tradition of taharas hamish-
pachah.
"We strongly encourage it for those
people for whom it is a meaningful ritu-
al," said Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz of Con-
gregation Beth Achim, the only
Conservative shul in metro Detroit with
a mikvah.
In Reform Judaism, the mikvah is an
option for those who wish to convert. ❑