Maggie Rogatsky, founder and head designer at Haute Couture and Design, has been designing and planning projects for years. While each undertaking is rewarding, only recently was she offered the assignment of a lifetime—to build a state-of-the-art mikvah for the women of the Crown Heights Jewish community: Mikvah Mei Chaya Mushka.
When she agreed to the project, Rogatsky knew that the task was not as simple as designing a Jacuzzi or heated swimming pool. The scores of meetings she had with the new structure’s founders, including Rabbi Moshe Pinson, provided her with a comprehensive education about the detailed and thorough Halachic laws and regulations related to a mikvah’s infrastructure, including the visible aspects such as the pool itself, as well as the many non-visible components including the piping and water filtration system.
The Mikvah’s specifications, outlined in exhaustive detail in Rabbinic teachings and blueprinted and built countless times throughout Jewish history, are scheduled to become a reality once again in the form of Maggie’s unique creation.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s talks and writings strongly emphasize that a mikvah, which enables the purity and propagation of the Jewish people, should be a modern, sanitary and welcoming facility that creates an experience that women enjoy and look forward to.
In his commentary, Rashi explains that the words “this is my G-d and I will beautify Him,” imply that the Torah requires that we fulfill its commandments in a beautiful and elegant manner. It is for this reason that Mitzvos are performed with splendor and dignity; an esrog must be blemish-free, a Torah ark covered with an ornate, decorative velvet curtain, and so on. In fact, the Beis Hamikdash, which was designed by Hashem himself, was constructed of and filled with luxurious materials including pure gold and lavish animal skins. By adorning G-d’s commandments with physical beauty, we glorify their spirituality by making them more appealing and attractive to the Jewish people.
Maggie knows very well that beauty and appeal have no more suitable an outlet than in a women’s mikvah, which is why its founders specifically chose her to design this important and prestigious project.
Like the Mikvah itself, the plans for the event to celebrate and raise funds for its completion have proved to be exquisite. To add to the joy of the occasion, Mordechai Ben David, The King of Jewish Music, and the ‘Freilach Band,’ will entertain the crowd with live Jewish music, and Modi, one of the top comedians in the world today, will perform a hilarious comedy routine. Rabbi Shimon Freundlich from Beijing, China, and Rabbi Y.Y. Jacobson will provide those in attendance with words of inspiration.
The event’s organizers are confident that the top-tier guests and entertainers will provide everyone in attendance with joy and inspiration. The mitzvah of completing a mikvah will lead to the mitzvah of bringing joy to people. And one mitzvah leads to another…
To register for Sunday’s evening at the Jewish Children’s Museum dedicated to the completion of Mikvah Mei Chaya Mushka, please click here.
For more information about the Mikvah, please visit www.MikvahCM.com and join the fan base on Facebook by clicking here.
You are learning the halachos, and bringing “beauty and appeal” to the mitzvah of taharas hamishpocha. Please remember that tznius is part of taharas hamishpocha. Women are looking at you as a representative of this mitzvah. Your assignment of a lifetime can be building this mikvah and showing women that dressing tzniusdikly is beautiful and something to be proud of.
Beautiful article ,Maggie is an amazing ,talented ,smart and elegant women .no wonder this is a succeseful project.
JCM. 8PM Sunday night.
Nice article.
No web site ever publicized the location.
is this true? i heard all the seats have been booked