Temple To Build A Ritual Bath For Jewish Women

Beth Israel of Malden will soon offer observant Jewish women a custom that has been followed for 3,500 years.

The only orthodox shul in the city will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, June 26 for its mikvah, a ritual bath that married women use for family purity. The immersion in the bath is seen by the Jewish faith as a kind of purification after each menstrual cycle and, according to the Bible, it marks the time – roughly after fourteen days -- when a wife is permitted to resume sexual contact with her husband.

 “The reason the Mikvah Ground Breaking Ceremony at Beth Israel of Malden is so great is that the north region of Boston only has a few other mikvahs, one in Lynn and one in Lexington,” said Tamar G. Vogel, the director of community development and outreach for the shul.

Of the north Orthodox communities, Malden is growing and has an Eruv (a ritual enclosure) as well. The Malden community is a 20-minute drive from Brookline, where there’s a concentration of the Jewish population in Boston. The orange line T also makes the mikvah very accessible.

Conservative and Reform Jewish women keep the custom of family purity as well, Vogel said, making Beth Israel of Malden’s mikvah an asset for the entire Jewish community, not just the Orthodox Jews in town. In fact, she pointed out there are some therapists for couples who even suggest to non-Jewish people to separate while the woman has her period as it gives time to work on other forms of communication in the relationship.

Phillip Vedol, a board member of Beth Israel of Malden, explained the construction of the mikvah will be in three phases after the groundbreaking: getting rid of sand in the former pool on the shul’s property and pour the concrete basin, setting up plumbing, heat, and electricity; and making two spaces where the women will change as preparation for immersion, one of which will be handicap accessible.

The shul is currently fundraising for the entire project that is expected to cost several hundred thousand dollars.

The dimensions of the mikvah are eight by eight by five feet deep. Vogel explained it is being created with a modern, spa- like feel. “Many rabbinical leaders feel this is important in order not to deter women away from the experience,” she said. “The nicer and more welcoming the mikvah is, it is bound to be an enjoyable and meaningful experience.”

Beth Israel of Malden currently has about 30 member families and is undergoing a "resurgence," with more young couples moving in, Vedol said. Some of this is due to funding [and] scholarships that the shul offers. But a larger factor for this move is due to the location of Malden (to downtown Boston) and that homes and rentals are affordable.

Vedol said the shul, established in 1902, has been holding events to welcome new members and create alliances with other Jewish institutions.

Beth Israel of Malden was recently part of the Orthodox Union Emerging Community Fair that showcased 40 smaller communities outside the New York area.

“More of the recent families that have moved to the synagogue’s area came from New York, New Jersey and other Boston communities,” Vedol said. “Having a mikvah will make the shul more attractive for young couples, and larger families. This mikvah, by appointment, will be open to anyone throughout Boston.”

The Mikvah Ground breaking will take place on June 26, at 2 p.m. at 10 Dexter St.

For additional information, visit maldenmikvah.org. Donations can be made by contacting Rabbi Yitzchak Zev Rabinowitz, leader of Beth Israel of Malden since 1997, at 781-322-5686