Hachtoroh of Rav Shraga Feivel Zimmerman

May 2008

It has now been 5 years since Gateshead was orphaned of Harav Betzalel Rakow zt”l. Finding the ideal candidate to lead the burgeoning Kehilla has not been a care-free process, but finally, the Hachtorah of HaRav Shraga Feivel Zimmerman is announced.

Signs are taped to every lamp post and adults and school children line the streets in bigdei Shabbos. Flags are waved, music plays and fathers crane their necks and raise their children high on their shoulders to catch a glimpse of the new Rov.

After making a heartfelt brochoh on a tallis awarded to him with the pomp and ceremony of a royal crown, Rav Zimmerman delivers his inaugural drosha. Prefaced with Divrei Torah, the Rov begins to explore ways in which the Kehilla might build on its illustrious foundations. He highlights the vital need to redevelop the existing mikva facility. It was designed for the use of 120 families, but now the kehillah is B”ah home to 250. The mikva is now 30-40 years old, far too small, over-used and desperately needs renovating. As the Rov later mentioned, “It is pure Zechus Ovos that the current mikveh is still up and running.”

Men with a Mission

January 2013

A Building foundation, and Committee is formed of determined and experienced Kehillah members. They are men with a mission – and what a mission it is. They proceed to invest countless of hours of their time into the development of a new mikva. They challenge is mammoth and volume of work appears insurmountable. But they do not desist. Three years later, Mr M Y Fordsham, Committee Member and veteran Developer, relates, “I think it would be correct to say that in the last three years there has not been a single week without proactive… advancement of the project within the committee.”

Doing their Homework

September 2013

Researching mikvaos worldwide, such as in Israel, the USA and Europe, is one of the significant initial stages. Gateshead is looking to develop a mikva that is kosher l’mehadrin. Intense research reveals the salient aspects of each one, and how to incorporate them. One Committee member flies to examine a mikva in Haifa and dozens in Yerusholayim. He later undertakes the 8 hour flight to inspect facilities in Monroe, Lakewood and Far Rockaway. A host of tips is garnered from a Mikva in Monsey. And of course, numerous mikvaos across the UK are analysed. Mr S Mozes, of R’ Chuna’s in London kindly avails the Building Committee, of his invaluable experience, and his own extensive investigation when developing the Golders Green facility.

Today, where man can’t pace, cables are in place. The Committee telephone architects who designed mikvaos for the Mexican and Russian communities and draw on their expertise.

A comprehensive knowledge base is being acquired and developed. A picture of what the Committee are looking for and how to achieve their goal is being sketched in decisive lines, lines that become sharper and more defined and as the days go by.

Blueprint for Success

February 2014

Every building begins with a blueprint. The men involved have come to the realisation that a halachically kosher mikva needs similar attention to detail, and precise assignment of every square inch… to a nuclear missile facility. Kevin Doonan architects invest their 33 years of experience into the initial design and then proceed to categorise the project on their website as “complex”:

“The design brief was complex: …mikvehs (for ritual bathing)… all in strict accordance with rabbinical rules were accommodated within, on building.”

Planning Permission

June 2015

The plans are submitted to Gateshead Council by the architects and the Building Committee holds its collective breath. The site is small, with every inch of space ingeniously utilized. It is practically unheard of to procure Planning Permission for this kind of density. The Yad Hashem is plainly evident when the blueprints are accepted. They are on a holy mission and Someone is behind them.

Every Last Screw

July 2016

Kevin Doonan architects have spent the last year putting in the details. The result? Detailed construction drawings indicating every single minute aspect of the structure. It has been long, tiring year of comprehensive meetings, discussing and deciding the placement of every wire and screw. From number-locks to shower heads, from drainage pipes to door handles, every component has finally slotted into place.

Going Public

August 2016

Rumours abound. Every man in Kehillah has an opinion to air on the subject. But it is not until glossy ads announcing “The Launch” appear in the local advertiser that anyone knows anything for certain.

All are aware that the committee have been busy with a new Mikva facility. But questions abound. What will it look like? What have they done? Are there plans? Can we see them? Will we be part of it?

1st of August, 2016 is eagerly inscribed on calendars. Successive advertisements cause curiosity to mount to epic proportions. At the appointed time, the Kehillah arrive at the Bewick Centre in droves. Music is playing, a delicious catered spread is laid on the tables. Glossy brochures laying on the tables portray a 3D computer mock-up of the building in vivid colour.

The Parnes, R’ Y Kaufman and then Rav Shaya Schlesinger from London address the crowds, inspiring a sense of purpose and mission in every attendee, to do their part to change the status quo. The need is desperate and the situation dire. Every kehillah member is urged to “jump onto the bandwagon” and make the mission of equipping Gateshead for its future, his own. But the Gateshead Rov’s address is the one that has the most profound effect on the Kehilla members. In no uncertain terms, the Rov delineates how they are bound by halocha to aid in providing for the needs of the Kehilla – even those who do not require the use of the new facility. He named a clear minimum contribution — £1500 over a course of five years.

The response is remarkable. In a breath-taking display of unity, sense of responsibility, and support, almost the entire Kehilla set up a Direct Debit or contribute to the venture. The staggering sum of 1 million pounds is raised. Combined with a previous 1.4 million pledged by select members of the Kehilla, the Committee are 2.4 million closer to their goal.

But what is the goal? Until a construction company is named and contracted, the Committee remain in the dark as to exactly just how much the project is going to cost. But one thing they do know.

They are nowhere near where they need to be.

The Right Men for the Job

September 2016

It’s time to see something concrete. A list of 20 potential contractors are drawn up and intense discussions ensue, as the Committee strive to narrow down the pool. Who are the best men for the job?

Aside from being highly-skilled, business-like and good at what they do, the contractors will need to be exceptionally flexible and open to new concepts and ideas. As Mr C Halevieim explained, building a Mikva has no parallel in the outside world. This is partly due to the density of Electrical and Mechanical plant and partly because of the specific requirements of Halocha. These combined conditions are something that the construction crew would be unfamiliar with and would have to embrace with a positive attitude. The Committee invite representatives of some of the companies to view existing mikvaos, to aid them developing a realistic mental concept of what a Mikva is.

A slew of time-consuming interviews follow, until just 6 contractors remain. They are asked to provide an estimate. The moment of truth is soon to arrive.

Three Estimates

August 2017

Three estimates are slapped down onto the table. They are within the 7-8 million pound range. After plenty of debate, three contactors are dropped out of the running. Three remain. The final contestants are tasked with Value Engineering the plans. This means substituting materials for more cost-effective ones, figuring out where to trade quality for expense and vice versa, and capitalising on offers and deals that will result in the best-value-for-money solution.

Mr Halevieim, with his vast experience in contract negotiation in general, and Mikva construction in particular, meets with the contactors in makes various innovative changes to the original plan. Costs originally estimated to be seven million are lowered to just above five million, due to his expertise.

Meldrum Triumph

September 2017

The range is finally reduced to two potential companies, and Meldrum, a construction service based in Dunston, finally secures the contract. But Mr Halevieim is still not done. He labours further with Meldrum, to value engineer further component and alter the original plan. Eventually, the best possible result is achieved.

Excitement builds as Meldrum moves into in the grassy area behind the Shul, setting up portacabins and transporting their equipment.

A Cavernous Commencement

February 2018

It is on the 5th that the First Excavator rolls onto the building site. Work commences with Meldrum digging a gargantuan, fifteen-foot-deep pit behind the Shul. Memories of the time that Gateshead was sooty mining district resurface as first layers of mudstone, and then the coal seam are revealed. Guided by a map from the Coal Board, (an entity which is surprising still very much alive!), grout is pumped into underground hollows that would threaten the construction with subsidence. The ground, now prepared to safely support further development, is excavated further to allow for foundations for the Boros of the Mikvaos, and drainage to be laid.

The Committee’s dream is becoming reality.

Pouring Concrete and Raising Funds

June 2018

The aroma of freshly turned clay fills the air, together with the rattle of clanking chains, and the hum of heavy machinery. An observer watching from the periphery of the construction site in fascination, can discern four completed Boros and a fifth larger one on the verge of completion. The crew attempt to remove the heavy metal corrugated piling amid a cacophonous clattering of machinery. The piling comprised the external mould, when the halachically ideal, monolithic concrete pour of the boros took place. Now the four reinforced retaining walls have cured and the mould can be eliminated.

Upon successfully removing a section of piling, the Crawler Excavator carefully negotiates backwards on its tracks, narrowly avoiding delicate capped soil pipes that jut out above the ground at intervals.

Fundraising efforts are ongoing. The Rov and the Parnes, at the helm of the committee, have travelled outside of Gateshead many times to procure funds. Countrywide donors have been contacted and Parlour Meetings are planned. Some of the numerous Alumni who have passed through the town, benefitting from the Kehilla’s support of the institutions that they attended and its students, have expressed the desire to take part in this mitzvah as a mode of expressing their gratitude. The Committee sincerely hope that the public will take interest and support them on this important journey.

A Red Steel Frame

August 2018

The Kehilla observe the rapid progress with anticipation. The infrastructure of the building is complete until ground level. All five Boros are now finished and are covered, awaiting partitioning. Above ground, a red steel frame has sprouted at a brisk pace under Meldrum’s capable supervision, and the shape of the structure is now clearly defined. The crew are at work high in the air, constructing and sealing the roof of the facility.

The Otzer Mayim – Water Storage Container — on the ground floor, rises in a firm column of concrete close to the centre of the structure. The Committee hope it will no longer be visible by mid-October, when the building will be watertight, roofing and partition walls in place.

The fundraising effort continues. In a remarkable display of unity and determination, the Gateshead Kehilla, which has Ba”h expanded by approximately 16% since the building project was launched, has succeeded in contributing the just over half of the projected cost. Newcomers have gladly participated and pledged their support, but a substantial sum still needs to be raised.

During the coming week, the adjoining Rectory road will be closed for four days, while drainage is laid.

An Imposing Edifice

March 2018

Excitement mounts as the new Gateshead Mikva facility nears completion. The red steel framework has vanished beneath an imposing, aesthetically-pleasing brick façade. The interior is no longer exposed to the elements, a sturdy roof has been constructed and will soon be weatherproof. Windows have also been installed. A step inside reveals almost all of the interior walls in place, as well as structural elements associated with ensuring a halachically sound waterflow, referred to as “canopies” and “upstands”. The Gateshead Rov, HaRav S F Zimmerman, inspects the boros and declares, “The Kashrus and… hiddur is first-rate, and it will be the mikva that other Mikvaos are measured against.”

The Home Stretch

Now

The second monolithic pouring of the boros took place just before Pesach. This simultaneous concrete pouring of the walls and floor constitutes the actual cavity that will be used for tevila. The pouring was monitored by Rav Chaim Mendelovic shlit”a, of Monroe NY, sent by R’ Chaim Kalman Klein, the Satmar Dayan. Both are considered to be world-renowned experts on mikvaos, and have been involved in the halachic decision making for the mikva from the very beginning. Be’ezras Hashem, after Shevuos, the building should be ready for mechanical and engineering installation and interior design.

We are so close to finish line that we can already sense the euphoria of beholding the finished product. But we can proceed no further.

The Committee have already raised a staggering 3.5 million pounds, but for the mechanical and engineering installation to proceed, a further 2 million is required.

Fundraising in the Kehilla has been undertaken in earnest. Kehillah members have already stretched themselves in a remarkable way, right back from the time of the launch. Now, many have determinedly set fundraising goals for themselves, working individually or in groups. As the Rov succinctly summed it up — the askonim have done their part, now it’s the Kehilla’s turn. Targets have been recorded on distributed forms and submitted to the Mikva Committee.

But it is still not enough. Between 3.5 million pounds and five million pounds there a gap that is beyond the grasp of many. To cover the final lap, the final sprint to the strip of tape, the Committee are triggering a mammoth crowdfunding campaign will be starting off with a bang on May 12.

We stand on the foundations laid by more than 130 years of Torah, Avoda and Yiras Shomayim. We are already pacing the home stretch.

Join us, be a part, provide us with that final spurt of energy that will propel us over the finish line.