By Times Union Columnist David Bauerlein
Halfway through the ceremony inaugurating the Jewish
Community Mikvah in Jacksonville, the overcast sky unleashed sheets of rain on
the people sitting in chairs on the lawn outside the building.
Organizers quickly moved indoors.
But the rain had some symbolic value for the ceremony.
Mikvah, which translates to gathering of water, is a pool
of water used for Jewish family purification rituals.
The new Mikvah Yaakov Yoel, at Chabad of Northeast Florida
in Mandarin, uses a mixture of rainwater and city-supplied water for the
5-foot-deep pool that women descend into via a series of steps.
Its a way to connect with G-d, said Baruch Cywiak,
director of special projects for Mikvah USA, a national organization that helps
fund the cost of building Mikvahs. Its very intrinsic to the structure of
Jewish Life.
The Mikvah also benefited from local donations, the work of
contractor Need Construction, and some perseverance, said Rabbi Yoseph
Kahanov, executive director of Chabad of Northeast Florida.
To build a Mikvah, it definitely takes a village, he said.
One of the most important uses for a Mikvah is for brides
and married women practicing Taharat Hamishpacha, which encompassed Jewish laws
of Family Purity according to Chabad of Northeast Florida.
Its an age old ritual, but the Mikvah strives to put it in
a setting that resembles a modern spa to encourage more Jewish women to
participate. The pool is heated to a temperature of 101 degrees. Before
submerging themselves in the water, women remove all makeup even nail polish
to ensure nothing separates their bodies from the water.
A separate part of the building is for Jewish men.
It is a beautiful Mikvah one that enhances marriage and
makes it work. Said Kahanovs wife Rivkie, who was the mistress of ceremonies
for the inauguration.
davidbauerlein@jacksonville.com