Nishmat's Women’s Health and HalachaIn memory of Chaya Mirel bat R' Avraham

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First immersion at 50

3 December, 2004
Question:

I grew up in a conservative Jewish household. This year I turned 50 and also formally entered menopause. I would very much like to experience the ritual bath (mikveh) in celebration of personal renewal. I have never done this before…there was never a mikveh in any of the synagogues I've attended. I seem to recall hearing that there might be one in my area but can't find info about that. I was hoping that perhaps you might help me locate one and give me suggestions as to how I could go about requesting to do this sacred immersion.
Thank you.


Answer:

There is a global mikveh directory on our site that is a link to www.mikvah.org. If that does not suffice, we suggest calling the local Orthodox synagogue in your area, which should be able to help you.

There should be no need for a special request. Read through the articles on this site for proper preparation. You might want to call the mikveh lady in advance to let her know it is your first time so she can guide you through the steps.

You do not indicate whether you are currently married. In general, halacha encourages mikveh immersion only for married women. However, in some communities unmarried women do immerse for purposes of teshuvah (repentance) on erev Yom Kippur.

This internet service does not preclude, override or replace the psak of any rabbinical authority. It is the responsibility of the questioner to inform us of any previous consultation or ruling. As even slight variation in circumstances may have Halachic consequences, views expressed concerning one case may not be applied to other, seemingly similar cases. All health and health-related information contained within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is intended to be general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for consulting with your health care professional. The advice is intended to offer a basis for individuals to discuss their medical condition with their health care provider but not individual advice. Although every effort is made to ensure that the material within Nishmat's Women's Health & Halacha Web site is accurate and timely, it is provided for the convenience of the Web site user but should not be considered official. Advice for actual medical practice should be obtained from a licensed health care professional. For further questions or comments:  The Nishmat Women's Health and Halacha Site is a public service of Nishmat, The Jeanie Schottenstein Center for Advanced Torah Study for Women. This project and others like it are made possible by contributions from people like you. If you have benefited from the service, and wish to enable us to help others, click here to donate.
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