Our mikveh is a sacred space that is open and accessible to all Jews and those who are becoming Jews.
Welcome to Libi Eir (Awakened Heart) Community Mikveh at Beth Meyer Synagogue
Ritual immersion in a mikveh - a gathering of living water (mayim hayim) - marks a change in status. People immerse at Libi Eir to celebrate moments of joy, to heal after times of sorrow or illness, or to commemorate transitions and changes.
Ritual immersion is an ancient part of Jewish tradition, noted in the Torah and in later Rabbinic commentaries. Today, there are only a few cases where immersion is still designated as a mitzvah, or an act required by Jewish law: for converts to Judaism, for brides, and for women observing niddah, the practice of immersing monthly following menstruation.
Mikveh has also been used for other purposes throughout Jewish history: for example, by men prior to Shabbat and the holidays, by women in the ninth month of pregnancy. At Libi Eir, people are welcome to immerse to commemorate a wide variety of transitions and occasions: prior to reading Torah for the first time, before or after surgery, on the occasion of being ordained a rabbi, or becoming a grandparent, or reaching the age of 40, or 50, or 85.
Every religious tradition uses water to denote change and transformation. In Jewish tradition, water is part of our sacred narrative, as when Hebrews traveled through the waters of the Red Sea as they left Egypt, marking their transformation from a tribe of slaves into a free people.
Mikveh is the Jewish ritual that symbolically enacts this kind of profound change for individuals. The mikveh pool recalls the watery state that each of us knew before we were born; the ritual of entering and leaving mayim hayim, living waters, creates the time and space to acknowledge and embrace a new stage of life.
Libi Eir’s mission is to reclaim and reinvent one of Judaism's most ancient rituals--immersion in the mikveh--for contemporary spiritual use; to teach about this resource to all who are interested; and to make the mikveh a sacred space that is open and accessible to all Jews and those who are becoming Jews.
In order to fulfill this mission, we keep these goals in mind:
Maintain and operate a kosher mikveh serving the Jewish community.
Provide a welcoming, beautiful place for both traditional and creative mikveh uses.
Support a welcoming, beautiful place for converts to Judaism and their extended families.
Foster new uses for mikveh for the 21st century Jewish community (e.g. healing rituals following illness or loss)
Provide information and welcome those interested in observing the mitzvah (commandment) of niddah, monthly immersion in the mikveh.
Promote meaningful and varied volunteer experiences related to all aspects of the mikveh.
Recognize and promote the unique interests of men in traditional and contemporary mikveh practice and promote the participation of men in all aspects of Libi Eir.
Provide educational resources regarding the uses of mikveh, including curricula, volunteer training, and presentations by staff and volunteers.
Serve as an example of an innovative and pluralistic Jewish institution that collaborates with local, regional and national organizations to provide meaningful resources and personal experiences to all interested Jews, and those becoming Jewish.
Encourage creative expression as a means of achieving Libi Eir’s various goals.
Secure the financial future of Libi Eir by operating in a fiscally responsible manner.
