Anonymous Donor Gives $10K

By COLlive reporter

A generous grant to build a new Chabad mikvah was given this week through Taharas Hamishpacha International, a division of Machne Israel that runs Mikvah.org and the Online Mikvah Calendar.

The organization run by Mrs. Chaya Sarah Zarchi sent out an email this week to Chabad Shluchos worldwide notifying them about a donor that was interested in helping in a Mikvah that needs funds to be completed.

The donor “wishes to remain anonymous,” the email said and no further information was given about this person, other than saying “this grant has been given in loving memory of the donor’s distinguished parents who were niftar within this past year.”

Chassi Rivkin, the project manager at Taharas Hamishpacha International said they were honored that the donor “turned to us for assistance in this matter and allowed us to be part of this wonderful venture, based on their past experiences with our organization.”

Chabad centers were encouraged to send in information about their Mikvah projects to help the donor decide where to give his $10,000 donation.

Stipulations mentioned were that the Mikvah be the sole one in the area, preferably a remote location, and that the contribution to be “the final step that allows the mikvah to open – the makah b’patish as it were.”

The decision was intended to be given within 24 hours of the original email which was sent this past Wednesday. But with over 100 applications sent in, the selection process was delayed and was only finalized Tuesday, on the auspicious day of Beis Iyar.

The donor ended up choosing the state-of-the-art mikvah being built by Shluchim Rabbi Alexandar and Leah Namdar in their Chabad center in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Amazingly, it coincided to the day with the 21st anniversary of the Shlichus of Chabad in Sweden.

“The timing of this grant is amazing hashgacha pratis, ” says Rabbi Namdar. “Both the Frierdiker Rebbe and the Rebbe were personally involved towards building a Mikvah here. We are very grateful to Taharas Hamishpacha intl/ mikve.org for their tremendous efforts in making this possible, and to the anonymous donor for her generosity and caring for Jewish life and continuity in far away Sweden.”

As reported on COLlive.com, the Frierdiker Rebbe (in 1940) and the Rebbe (in 1948) both encouraged for a Mikvah to be built in the city.

The Mikvah is attached to the Chabad House with its own private entrance. The rooms are built from authentic golden Jerusalem stone, giving a timeless feeling to the experience, and connecting Mikvah users with thousands of years of Jewish history.

Graceful arches lead to preparation areas. The room is lit by spotlights. Two handmade ceramic doves illuminate the area over the water, designed by Olga Popyrina, a Jewish designer at Ikea who is a close friend of Chabad in Sweden. “These dove lamps represent love, peace and light. And so does this Mikvah,” she says.

Elegant rounded steps of the pure blue tile imported from Spain lead down into the large mikve pool, and water cascades down an ornamental miniature waterfall, made of Jerusalem stone.

The glass tile above the waterline of the Mikvah is lit by LED lights that are set to change color from time to time, lighting up the sparkling water with an almost magical glow. “I feel like I’m in Jerusalem,” sighs Joanna S, a local resident while looking around the mikve, still under construction.

Work on the Mikvah began on Yud Aleph Nissan last year, and this grant will help bring the Mikvah to its very imminent completion, says Rabbi Namdar.

Other dedications still available (Tree of life dedication, each leaf $180) at Chabad.se