36 | FEBRUARY 10 • 2022 

O

rthodox women 
are eagerly await-
ing the opening 
of the new mikvah at the 
Tugman Bais Chabad Torah 
Center of West Bloomfield 
synagogue on Maple Road 
east of Orchard Lake. The 
approximately 2,500-square-
foot facility, which is about 
triple the space of the cur-
rent mikvah, is expected to 
open in May or June.
A mikvah is a ritual bath 
used by Jews who have 
become ritually unclean, 
which is not the same as 
physically unclean. It is 
most often used by women 
before their weddings, after 
their menstrual periods and 
after childbirth. Converts to 

Judaism need to immerse 
in a mikvah, and some men 
choose to do so before holy 
days or to mark life mile-
stones. All mikvahs must 
include water from a natural 
source, such as rainwater.
The Tugman Bais Chabad 
mikvah will include three 
separate spaces, for women, 
for men and for vessels — 
dishes and pots that need to 
be kashered by immersion 
before use.
The women’s mikvah 
will be the centerpiece, and 
will look like a spa, said 
the congregation’s outreach 
director, Rabbi Shneur 
Silberberg.
The project’s architect is 
Jason Rogers of Southfield.

New mikvah and playground at 
Bais Chabad will appeal to young 
families.

Bais Chabad 
‘Upgrades’

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY

ABOVE: A sneak peak at the prep rooms for the new mikvah.
TOP: A rendering of the Bais Chabad playground, opening this spring.

COURTESY OF BAIS CHABAD

