Mikvah
The Campaign
Hyde Park’s Jewish community has been growing gradually over the past few years and with this expansion, it is time to build a mikvah.
The last Mikvah in Chicago’s South Side was in 1956, before the community moved north. See here for a news article about that Mikvah.
Now it’s time to build a beautiful mikvah for the Hyde Park Jewish community and married UChicago students. This state-of-the-art, beautiful facility will facilitate the observance of the special mitzvah of Family Purity. The cost of the Mikvah is approximately $300,000.
The Hyde Park Mikvah
The Hyde Park mikvah will be a state of the art immersion pool and spa like preparation room. Every woman who uses the mikvah will feel pampered and special like the woman she is. With its dedicated entrance, the mikvah will be a private and discreet experience.
About Mikvah
The mikvah is the single, most essential component of a Jewish community.
A mikvah is a ritual pool constructed according to the exact specifications outlined in Jewish law.
The primary function of the mikvah today is its use in the observance of the Jewish “Family Purity” laws – Taharat Hamishpach.
Jewish law requires that a couple abstain from marital intimacy from the onset of her menstrual cycle until she immerses in a mikvah.
By immersing in the mikvah, the woman is spiritually refreshing and spiritually boosting herself and her relationship with her husband and with the entire household.
Mikva is a mitzvah that is crucial to Judaism. It is our past and future. It is basic and essential. Our Sages teach us that if a community cannot afford to build a mikva and maintain a synagogue, the mikva takes priority. If necessary we can pray in someone’s living room or even sell a Torah scroll in order to raise funds to build a mikvah.
Mikvah ensures the continuity of Jewish families, for generations to come.
Building a mikvah is a complicated, expensive project. It involves a team of professionals, hours of supervision by Rabbinical experts, and exact attention to myriad details. The combination of architectural marvel, Rabbinical expertise and lavish extravagance are truly a tribute to the power of the Jewish woman, who brings holiness into her home by using the mikvah.
Please join us in this holy and special endeavor and contribute generously and increase the holiness and purity of the Jewish family.