The ritual bath, or mikvah, has been part of the Jewish world since time immemorial. Throughout the ages the mikvah often was one of the first communal structures set up, along with a synagogue.
In Milwaukee, mikva’ot have existed in the west side Jewish community for more than half a century; and Lubavitch of Wisconsin has mikva’ot in Milwaukee, Mequon and Madison.
Now the Jewish community of Glendale has its first mikvah, which is also the first in Milwaukee’s northern suburbs.
The Glendale Mikvah opened this year, and a formal dedication ceremony, co-sponsored by Mikvah USA, was held on Aug. 31, at Ohr HaTorah-Jewish Heritage Center, where the mikvah is located in the basement level.
The ceremony brought almost 100 people from several Jewish communities, including the rabbinical leaders of those communities, to tour the mikvah and to listen to speeches by four dignitaries.
Rabbi Michael Twerski, the leader of the West Side Jewish community, gave a special blessing to the mikvah. Rabbi Akiva Freilich, director of Ohr HaTorah, read a letter from his father who lives in Israel, and who had made a sizable donation for the construction of the Glendale Mikvah.
Rabbi Baruch Cywiak also spoke. He is a representative of Mikvah USA, the organization that helps oversee the construction of a mikvah according to Jewish law and helps with fund raising as well. Mikvah USA is listed in the Glendale Mikvah’s pamphlets as the co-sponsor of the Glendale Mikvah.
The fourth dignitary was well known speaker Rabbi Henoch Plotnik of Congregation Bais Tefila in Chicago.
Each speaker emphasized that a community was whole when a mikvah was constructed in the community. Cywiak said that the Glendale Mikvah was the 36th mikvah that his organization had helped open.
It was years in consideration and planning. The plans were announced in the May 27, 2010, issue of the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle. Both Freilich and Rabbi Nachman Levine of Glendale’s Anshei Sfard Kehillat Torah synagogue, were quoted in the article as saying that the Orthodox community of Glendale has felt a need for such a structure for years.
The Glendale Mikvah has two entrances, one from inside the building and the other from the parking lot in back of the building.
At the bottom of the stairs, before the entrance to the mikvah itself, is a public elevated mikvah tank for the immersion of new dishes and utensils for the ritual called toveling, the purification of the eating implements. There are daily hours listed so that people can bring their new items during these times.
Use of the mikvah for Tarat Hamishpacha (Family Purity) is by appointment only, and appointments are to be made with Rebbetzin Yosefa Freilich, so that the ritual of immersion is kept private.
The Glendale Mikvah includes the latest in shower and bathroom fixtures. Near the entrance is a waiting room with comfortable chairs. Large dressing rooms include wig stands.
The mikvah itself is in a pleasant room with green plants. On a wall near the entrance is a plaque listing the present donors with room for the names of more.
For more information about the uses and significance of the mikvah, see the article by Rebbetzin Feige Twerski in the September 2013 Chronicle.
The Glendale Mikvah is open to anyone in the Glendale community and outside it. It’s located at 7020 N. Green Bay Ave. For appointments and more information, call 414-446-5223.
Arlene Becker Zarmi is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in more than 40 publications nationwide. She was also the producer and host of a travel TV show for Viacom, and is a Jewish genre and portrait artist.
Loading ...