Creepy crawlers, peeling paint, broken tiles and overall neglect – those are just some of the words women have used to describe the condition of many mikva’os across Israel. After years of keeping quiet, more and more women have decided to speak up.
In answer to their call, the Merkaz L’Taharat Ha’Mishpacha has taken upon itself to lead the revolution to build and renovate the country’s mikva’os to the level of a luxury spa. The result: a spike in the number of monthly immersions, with many non-religious women starting to keep this fundamental mitzvah for the first time.
The topic of taharas hamishpachah is not usually discussed in a public forum; consequently, the condition of the mikva’os and how women feel about it never make it on the agenda. In recent years, however, as the condition of too many facilities across the country has degenerated, the Merkaz L’Taharat Ha’Mishpacha decided to take positive action.
Shlomit, a resident of the northern town of Kalanit, related that it was worth it to her to travel a distance to a decent mikvah, and that she’d only visit the local facility when there was no other alternative. “The place is decrepit with an old air conditioner that barely cools in the summer and doesn’t heat in the winter. I felt like I needed to shower as soon as I got home –that’s not how it’s supposed to be,” she remarked.
This sad situation exists not only in the small towns and villages. The Merkaz L’Taharat Ha’Mishpacha is currently raising funds to build a new mikvah in the central city of Nes Tziona, where the current facility is virtually unusable. “Any bride who comes here, never returns. We give them a card for a year’s free use of the mikvah and they just give it right back to us,” said Religious Council Head David Rachamim.
In truth, there are many women, not necessarily religious, who feel a deep connection to the mitzvah of mikvah. “I’m not religious, but I feel that this mitzvah is important and I have been observing it since I was married. I want to feel good about going to the mikvah; I don’t think I should have to be disgusted by the state of the facility,” Shlomit said, speaking for many of the local women. While Shlomit continued to keep the mitzvah regardless of the neglect in her local mikvah, the same cannot be said for everyone.
During a visit to Kalanit last year, Akiva Weiner, CEO of the Merkaz L’Taharat Ha’Mishpacha, was approached by a woman who told him, “Until four years ago, I would come regularly to the mikvah, but I stopped. It was simply revolting.” Weiner promised her then and there that within a year, the mikvah would be renovated from top to bottom.
At the grand opening several days ago, Shlomit was amazed. “It’s stunning, I can’t believe it! It’s like a fancy hotel!”
The Merkaz L’Taharat Ha’Mishpacha is one of the only organizations in Eretz Yisrael that seeks to address this issue. In recent years, they have spearheaded what is nothing less than a revolution, building and renovating mikva’os across the country to luxury standards. The Merkaz L’Taharat Ha’Mishpacha does not receive any government funding, and depends solely on contributions, mostly from private individuals. It’s important to understand: the cost of building a mikvah today is at least NIS 2 million, and renovation costs between NIS 500,000 and NIS 600,000. The government earmarks NIS 1 million for a new mikvah, and just NIS 150,000 for renovation, but very often, even that amount isn’t allocated. At the end of the day, only the Merkaz L’Taharat Ha’Mishpacha makes this cause a priority.
“We have dozens of projects that are in the process of planning and construction, as well as a long waiting list of mikva’os that need urgent renovation. Women contact us, begging for a solution, but there’s only so much that we can do,” explained Rabbi Chaim Levi, chairman of the organization.
Nevertheless, there are many cases where the organization will start building even without funding. “We daven that we will get the money in the course of construction, and baruch Hashem, we’ve seen yeshuos,” he said.
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