Episode Details

For generations, mikvah has been one of the most central institutions of Jewish life. But for many women, it has also remained deeply private, rarely discussed openly and often understood primarily in terms of obligation. What might change if we thought about mikvah not only as a halachic practice, but as a source of spirituality, self-awareness, connection, and renewal?

In this episode of Women's Gallery, Joanne Greenaway speaks with Dr. Naomi Marmon Grumet, founder and director of the Eden Center in Jerusalem, about reimagining the place of mikvah in the lives of Jewish women. Beginning with the centuries-old custom of women immersing before Yom Kippur, they explore mikvah as an embodied form of spiritual preparation and a powerful opportunity to think about who we are and who we hope to become in the year ahead.

Their conversation moves into some of the most sensitive questions surrounding mikvah today: the role of mikvah attendants, autonomy and trauma, sexuality and relationships, women's halachic knowledge and authority, and whether our emphasis on privacy has sometimes created unnecessary secrecy and shame.

It's a wide-ranging conversation about tradition, women's bodies, spiritual renewal, and what it might mean for women to take greater ownership of one of Judaism's most intimate rituals.

Partake in the ancient custom of women's immersion on erev Yom Kippur. This helpful infographic from The Eden Center can guide you. It's also a wonderful time to introduce girls to mikveh in a spiritual context, without the overtones of relationship.