c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) When Rabbi Daniel Liben steps into the warm waters of the Mayyim Hayyim (Living Waters) mikvah in Newton, Mass., he will pause on each of the seven steps leading into the pool to ponder the state of his soul.

Each step into the tepid waters, he said, is a “part of the process of introspection, of thoughtfulness” during the holiest days on the Jewish calendar, between Rosh Hashana (the New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement).

“We’re supposed to be taking a closer look at where we are as human beings, where we’ve fallen short and how we hope to change in the coming year,” said Liben, spiritual leader of Temple Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Natick, Mass. “Going to the mikvah, for me, speaks to the issue of renewal.”

Liben is not alone. A small but growing number of Jews _ mostly men, but also some women _ are stepping into the purifying waters of the mikvah, or ritual bath, to mark the start of the new year and symbolically wash away the burdens of the past.

Jewish women historically have been the most frequent visitors to the mikvah _ ancient purity laws require a cleansing visit each month, after a woman’s period, before sexual relations can be resumed. Mikvahs are also used by Jewish converts and before marriage.

But in recent years, mikvahs have been gaining popularity around the High Holy Days as a way of starting fresh.

“The custom developed that men would go to the mikvah, purifying themselves for Rosh Hashana or Yom Kippur,” said Professor Jonathan Sarna of Brandeis University. “It became a popular tradition in some circles, but it’s not a matter of law.”

Within Orthodox Judaism, going to the mikvah in preparation for the High Holy Days has become more popular among men, but is not at all common among women, according Rabbi Moshe Elefant of the Orthodox Union.

The Jewish High Holy Days have become a busy time at the mikvah. In Manhattan, about 1,000 men will visit the Mikvah of the West Side in preparation for the High Holy Days, said Elliot Gibber, chair of the mikvah committee. The mikvah has separate facilities for men and women, and serves many Orthodox Jews. Women come for monthly visits, but not High Holy Days immersions, Gibber said.

“In the non-Orthodox Jewish world, there’s been an attempt to reinterpret the meaning of mikvah for both men and women,” Liben said. “Today, people are recovering some of these traditions that are not Jewish (legal) obligations, but have been there as part of our tradition.”

At Mayyim Hayyim, a progressive mikvah in Newton, Mass., there might be eight to 10 appointments on a normal day, but there will be 25 appointments each day immediately before and after Rosh Hashana, said Aliza Kline, the mikvah’s executive director.

Some people who visit the mikvah during the Jewish High Holy Days seek ritual purity, a symbolic cleansing from sin. Others also see a link to the past.

“We have an extensive description of the practice of the high priest on the Day of Atonement,” Sarna said. “That practice certainly included, in the days of the ancient Temple, immersion. Today we don’t have a temple, but … by going to the mikvah, we are reenacting the rituals of the high priest on the Day of Atonement.”

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Traditionally, the experience has been a private one for women, less so for men. In the past, the mikvah might have been cold, dark and less than pleasant. Today, men and women may find an atmosphere that’s more like a spa.

At the West Side mikvah, women are shown into changing rooms with showers that look like they could be from an upscale hotel. Laminated cards remind them how to prepare. Among other things, they must wash their hair and take off nail polish. (Shampoo and nail polish remover are provided.) The men’s mikvah also provides showers, but not fully supplied changing rooms.

When the women are ready, they push a button that says, “Ready for Tevilah” (immersion). An attendant escorts each woman individually down a hall to the blue-tiled mikvah, where a prayer is posted near the pool.

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

At Mayyim Hayyim, the experience is private and spalike. There, men and women use the same building, but some women-only hours are scheduled. Well-appointed changing rooms open onto the mikvah pool. Deena Blau began an annual Rosh Hashana immersion there several years ago.

“For me, the immersion represents a kind of process of transformation,” Blau said. “Because it’s our new year, it’s a chance to begin again and let go of the mistakes I’ve made _ to think about how to give myself another chance, to do better next year.”

Because immersion for the High Holy Days is not biblically commanded, there are no mandatory prayers.

“The waters of the mikvah are not magical,” said Kline. “The issue about going to the mikvah is that it’s not the water that will change you, it’s you who brings the change to the experience.”

At Mayyim Hayyim, a team developed a series of prayers and statements to help people focus during a Rosh Hashana immersion.

One part reads, “Though the future is uncertain, I release this past year with all its difficulties and joys. I open my heart to receive the blessings of the New Year.”

Liben, the rabbi, said the experience can be striking.

“Each year, I’m surprised all over again at how powerful the experience is _ the experience of feeling connected to God through this very physical ritual.”

KRE DS END ROAN925 words, with optional trim to 800

Photos of a woman immersing at Mayyim Hayyim are available via