The Mikvah in Progressive Judaism.

The use of the Mikvah (ritual bath) was generally discarded by the early reformers of Judaism at the beginning of the nineteenth century.  This is because it was seen as discriminatory (used almost exclusively by women) and outdated (they rejected the idea of ritual impurity, especially because of a natural cause such as menstruation).

Over the past couple of generations it has re-emerged, mainly because of its part in the traditional Jewish conversion ceremony.  One of the components of conversion to Judaism was immersion in the mikvah.  In order to follow the traditional practices, and to remove the opportunity for anyone to say 'you can't really have become Jewish as you didn't go to the mikvah', it is now commonly included as part of the process of Progressive conversions.

It soon became clear, however, that there was a real psychological benefit for many candidates - aside from all the academic learning and experiencing Jewish life, and going before a Bet Din (Jewish court), here was a physical act - the moment of immersion - which made a powerful physical transition - going into the water as something else - a 'nearly Jew' - and emerging as fully Jewish.

It became equally clear that almost all mikva'ot (plural of mikvah) were owned and run by the orthodox, who would generally not allow their mikva'ot to be used by non-orthodox conversion purposes.

In Britain, when the Empire Games had been held in Cardiff, Wales, in 1958, the orthodox community had seen an opportunity to have a new Mikvah built for them as part of the Empire Pool.  And so, when the Reform Movement reintroduced mikvah as part of their conversion process back in the 1970s, people were sent to Cardiff - a two hour train journey away.  There, in the entrance foyer, behind a door marked 'Private', was a mikveh owned by the municipality and not controlled by the orthodox!

Taking a day trip to Cardiff and attending the Bet Din brandishing a swimming pool entrance ticket was not entirely satisfactory either to the candidates or to the rabbis, and when a new Youth and Education building was being planned for the Sternberg Centre in London, headquarters of the UK Reform Movement, it was decided to include our own mikvah.

Unfortunately, the building was already largely designed, and the space identified was originally intended to be a disabled toilet, and this was somewhat extended for the mikvah. The Rabbis of the Reform movement were given a deadline to submit designs, but no-one had picked up the challenge.  Although I was then working in the sister Liberal Movement, where we offered mikvah as an option for conversions but did not insist on it, I felt it was an important issue and too good an opportunity to miss.  So I picked up the challenge, checking sources and learning as much as I could about the requirements of a functional mikvah.

1983: The design was checked and approved by colleagues, including by Rabbi Louis Jacobs, head of the Masorti movement who also planned to use it, as they too were prevented from using orthodox mikva'ot.  It was submitted just in time and the mikvah built.  It has been in regular use since the early 1980s.  (Design features, operation and pictures of the Sternberg Centre Mikvah are found in the next post).

Progressive Judaism empowers people to make 'educated choices', and by building our own mikvah, where the operation and intention could be explained and seen, and it could readily be used, we made this very much easier.  An interesting and somewhat unexpected result of having this comfortable and accessible mikvah within our own Centre has been that some people have began to use it for other traditional uses.  For example, although men have generally been exempt from requiring the since the destruction of the Temple (some 1940+ years ago!), the Torah scribe (sofer) is supposed to go to the mikvah before writing God's name, and a sofer working in our community was using it regularly.  It is traditionally also part of the preparation prior to the High Holydays, and has been used by a few people (including me) for that purpose.  Of course there is the original 'post menstruation' use, and I know one or two women have started visiting for this, and also pre-wedding, where I believe some women (and a few men) have decided to use the mikvah for this purpose. 

In Melbourne, the orthodox community had got the municipal authorities to include a Mikvah as part of the Melbourne Baths in East Melbourne, opened in 1904, and though the community has largely migrated to the south, this mikvah was used for some years by the Progressive movement until around 2001, by which time it had cracked and was decommissioned.  We reverted to using the 'natural water' of Port Philip Bay and also utilised some hot natural springs on the Mornington Peninsula, especially during winter!

2011: In 2011 we secured a grant from Melbourne City Council and were able to renovate and update the Melbourne Baths Mikvah.  It is interesting to note that the design from 1904 did not appear to include 'natural water' - the mikvah was filled from taps.  We have taken the opportunity to incorporate a halachic device to return tap water to the state of 'natural water'.  The mikvah has been back in use since 2012, including by some local orthodox Jews.  (Redesign features, operation and pictures of the Melbourne Baths Mikvah are found in a subsequent post).

2012: The reconstruction of the Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney offers the opportunity to include a Mikvah for the Progressive and Masorti Community (and anyone else who wishes to use it) in NSW, and I have been involved in advising on that development.

2013: A reconstruction of a synagogue in the South of England has similarly offered the opportunity for a mikvah and I am pleased to have been able to assist in advising on that project.

NOTE: This Introduction is dated 2023 to ensure that it remains at the top of the list as subsequent blogs are posted.