USCJ Review - Fall 2006
I Am A Mikvah Lady
I am a mikvah lady.
You might ask: what is so special about that? Aren't there many women who function in that capacity? The answer is yes, of course, but there is something special about me and my relationship to my mikvah.
So let me tell you that my mikvah exceeds all other mikvaot in every way -- in size, in looks, and in grandeur.
It is the Atlantic Ocean.
When I accompany someone to the mikvah, the entire ocean is my domain. It stretches out in front of me, from the sandy shore onto the distant horizon; it might be calm and inviting or tall waves might roll in, break, playfully chase one another. A rising sun might greet us, hanging golden in the distance, or we might encounter heavy clouds that darken the landscape. No matter what, with sand crunching underfoot, we arrive at my very special mikvah.
You might ask: How did I get to be a mikvah lady? This is indeed a question that I often ask myself. I suppose that after more than 50 years as a Jewish educator, it was time not exactly to change my first love, but to add to it, to gain another dimension. It all began quite innocently a few years ago, when my rabbi, Geoffrey Botnick, asked me whether I would be interested in teaching a young lady about Judaism, guiding her on the path to conversion. Since I love a challenge, my answer was: why not?
It turned out to be a very rewarding experience. Janna's fiancé came to every session to give her support. Janna was diligent, eager to learn, and always well prepared. When Janna was to appear before the beit din to be examined about her knowledge of Judaism, the first official step in the conversion process, we had to plan the second step as well. That's the mikvah. Although there are mikvaot north and south of us, none of them would permit someone from the Conservative movement to use it for conversion. The only place open to us was God's own creation -- the ocean, the biggest mikvah of them all.
We met to discuss strategies: the place, the time, and my function. We are fortunate to have a small, rather secluded beach in our area. We decided that early mornings would serve us best. I would have to go deep enough into the ocean with Janna to make sure that full immersion could take place. Because Janna is very tall and I am rather short, I was a bit concerned about how that would work. But I knew that I had God on my side! To make Janna feel more comfortable, I suggested that I would hold a large beach towel in front of her while she would disrobe. I was prepared to assist her with the brachot, the blessings, if that were necessary.
Our plan worked beautifully; we met at 7 in the morning at the synagogue parking lot and drove to the beach. It was a glorious sunrise; the water was not too turbulent, the temperature just right. Triumphantly I waved Janna's bathing suit high in the air, to let the witnesses know that the immersion process was kosher. Fifteen minutes after arriving at the beach, we were ready to return to the synagogue for the morning service.
Little did I know then that my services as mikvah lady would be required again. My second student, Sandy, was very spiritual, devoted, and eager to learn, to progress, and to practice what she had learned. At this point I considered myself a veteran mikvah lady, and I didn't worry about the immersion. As at Janna's mikvah, we arrived at the parking lot at 7 in the morning. As we drove toward the ocean I realized that it was rather windy; the palm branches were swaying to and fro. When we approached my mikvah, my calm turned to apprehension. The waves rose angrily, crashing into each other in every direction. There was no way out. Responsibility demanded that we enter the angry water. Not only was there high tide and winds to content with, there were also crosscurrents. It was an experience that I will never forget, and I am certain that a mikvah lady in a more conventional setting never will have to endure anything like it. Were it not for the fact that God had other plans for me, I surely would have been swept away.
Fortunately, a few months passed before I met my third student. As soon as I met Cindy, I knew that once again I had an exceptional student in front of me. She's bright, intellectually curious, eager to question and to learn, and we spent many hours in deep discussion. Too soon for me, time to appear before the beit din and make a date at the beach approached. "Well," I said to myself, "Cindy is shorter than I am, so even if the mikvah ocean is not calm we do not have to go in very deep. I will not be swept away!"
It turned out to be a wonderful day. The sun rose over a calm, inviting ocean. The air had not yet absorbed the heat of the day. The beach was deserted on this Monday morning, and once again we concluded within 15 minutes. Every participant was beaming with joy! Mazal tovs and kisses were exchanged all around.
Will I consider serving as a mikvah lady again? While I would gladly swap the beauty of a sunrise and the grandeur of the vast ocean as my private mikvah for a conventional one, the answer still is yes. The entire conversion process is an emotional one, the happiness on the glowing faces of our new sisters is inspiring, and the rewards of embracing a person as she dives into the depths of Judaism are immeasurable.
