After a sewer back up damaged and toxified the music studio in the Aliya Youth Center’s basement during Simchas Torah, Rabbi Moishe Feiglin and his fellow shluchim Rabbi Note Shemtov and Rabbi Mendy Baitz of Aliya decided instead of just detoxing and rebuilding, they would do a deeper level of purification.
“We decided then that we will build the first one-of-a-kind ‘One at a Time’ Aliya Men’s Mikvah,” they said.
The idea quickly gained popularity and momentum amongst the guys of Aliya.
Rabbi Gershon Grossbaum, an internationally renowned mikvah expert, flew in from Minnesota to inspect the location and give a class for Aliya, explaining the intricacies and importance of building a kosher mikva. Rabbi Grossbaum toured the basement with the guys, taking measurements and laying out a design for how to build the mikvah in the most practical and beautiful way.
Since the word got out, the Aliya inbox has been flooded with beautiful messages from young people inspired by the new concept.
“Little did we realize how many young people suffering from child sexual abuse and other forms of severe trauma, not even living religious lifestyles, were elated to hear about this project and excited to use it. This will indeed be one of a kind!” they said.
One mother called in tears when she saw her son’s reaction to the Aliya mikva idea. She related how her son’s face lit up, and he said, “look, Mom, there will be a mikva that will help abuse victims gain purity in a dignified way.”
The new mikvah will be named Mikvah Moshe, and will be named in memory of Moshe Deitsch OBM. It will not be an ordinary community mikvah. This mikvah will be designed exclusively for young men who would never go to the mikvah otherwise. It will be a private beautiful room with a shower sauna and changing room for one person. Appointments will be made using a reservation app.
Construction is well underway we are calling on you to partner with Aliya on this transformation project that will enhance the sanctity and purity of our young generation!
VIDEO: Aliya one of a kind Mikva
This campaign is also overlapping with Aliya’s annual matching fundraising campaign and our winter Ski Shabbaton campaign coming up January 29-31.
Dedications:
Mikvah Naming: $36,000
Mikvah Bor: $26,000
Showers: $18,000
Entrance: $10,000
Tiles and Tilling Job: $7,700
Washing Station: $5,400
Dehumidifier: $3,600
Lighting $3,600
Fixtures: $3,600
Water heater: $1,800
Filter: $1,800
Partner: $1,800
One Month Utilities: $360
–All dedications will be displayed at the entrance of the new mikvah–
Moshe Fieglin is the real deal. Open your Wallets guys
What a refined and beautiful idea!
So emotional
Many boys do not feel comfortable going to the Mikva in public. I hope other cities will take note and copy (doesn’t need to be fancy just private)
I like the out-of-the-box thinking for this. Made me wonder why traditionally women almost always had privacy for mikva and men did not. would be interesting to find the halachic and social sources and origins for this discrepancy. and then trying to maintain contemporary “equal rights” perspective in the conversation. How and why did authority and leadership decide that it’s ok for men to be nude together and women not. Also interesting is the reasoning that led to this new mikva design. Seems that it’s not just simple natural universal shyness that this is seeking to address, but rather trauma.… Read more »
I dont think that the current protocols of men/women mikvah are dictated by “authority and leadership”. It is all a matter of personal preference, space and practicality.
However, I think it would be proper to put shower curtains in all shower stalls. I have seen these in many out of town men’s mikvaos.
Happy for CRown Heights. Beautiful initiative. I live in Efrat, Israel and two of the mikvaot for men are one-at-a-time. One was built that way when the town was built over 30 years ago. Hatzlacha!!
I think that in the past women used to go to mikva together. Ever heard of public bath houses?
You wonder why traditionally women almost always had privacy for mikva and men did not.
The answer is quite obvious. When women go to Mikvah, it is their “Mikvah Night”. Why in the world would a Tzniusdike woman want anyone else (besides the mikvah lady) to know that?
When men go to Mikvah, every day, it is to purify themselves to be holy for Prayer. What is there to hide from their male peers?
That men’s mikvah’s were even 1% as nice as the women’s mikvah’s.