The Israel Defense Forces will inaugurate the first military mikvah in history on Thursday, at the southern Air Force base in Ovda.
The ceremony will be attended by the donor who transferred some $100,000 for the ritual bath’s construction, as well as senior Military Rabbinate and base officers.
According to Military Rabbinate sources, the project was launched after women living on-base complained about having to travel 60 kilometers (37 miles) to Eilat every time they wish to immerse in a mikvah.
Sources in the army say the new mikvah has nothing to do with religion and army issues which have sparked several rows over the past few months, claiming that the plan was initiated over a decade ago, during the term of the former military chief rabbi, Brigadier-General (Res.) Avichai Ronsky.
(Source: Ynet)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
14 Responses
The Chazon Ish z”l and all other Gedolim have already paskend more than 50 years ago, that for Women to serve in the IDF is “yehareg v’al yavor”
A married woman living with her professional soldier husband at the base who wants a mikve is a kiddush Hashem
Simon… maybe stop pointing fingers – this is clearly for the wives of soldiers… not women in the IDF. Don’t forget that derech eretz kadma latorah.
Simon01,
Before besmirching the women who wish to keep Taharas Hamishpacha, has it occurred to you that these women are not serving in the IDF but rather are married to men who are serving, and they are living on the air force base with their husbands?
Simon01:
As you say “more than 50 years ago”…
Get with the times…
simon, with an attitude like yours it’s no wonder why we’re still in golus. Why not look at the good? This is a kiddush Hashem. Maybe some women who ARE serving in the army who are not yet frum would keep Taharas Hamishpacha if they don’t have to travel far to get to a mikvah.
There aren’t many women in the air force, some might be there as support personnel. And whether or not they’re following your hashkfah, it’s still a good thing if they have access to a mikvah.
For the most part though this is for married women whose husbands live on base.
Look at Hilchos Birchas Kohanim where it clearly says that a Kohen who is mechalel shabbos MUST still duchan. The MB uses the logic of ‘just because he does one thing wrong, doesn’t mean he should do another’.
So, even if the women are soldiers, I think the Chazon Ish Ztk”l and others would agree that they should still use a mikveh before they are with their husbands. If one woman in the history of this base didn’t make the 60km trek one time, chas v’shalom, then this $100G was well worth it.
Please note that “Simon01” and I are NOT the same person. I agree with those who responded to Simon01’s comment…
“the first military mikvah in history”?! Hardly. Even the USA has built mikvaos when there was a demand for them.
For instance, for many years the only mikveh in Alaska was on a military base.
I was about to mention that it might be their first military mikveh (not even sure of that), but note that it has been done before elsewhere – e.g., the one that used to be on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (formerly Elmendorf AFB) – and then noticed that someone has already alluded to it. They’ve since built one closer to the small community there.
only now?
The US military often sticks soldiers in remote areas. In Israel most career personnel commute. Israel doesn’t have to build a “civilian” infrastructure for its soldiers since they go home frequently. Assuming good roads, there’s a mikva a half hour drive from the base. It could just be someone with too much money to spend, or perhaps something more interesting (which wasn’t brought out in the public relations article that was posted).