By Sara Spielman
Although Cape Cod, MA is surrounded by water on all sides with more than 130 white-sand beaches, the popular travel destination that attracts millions of tourists each year never had its own mikvah. An impressive plan to build one is underway and a fundraising campaign to complete the project is happening today and tomorrow, November 1-2, Cheshvan 7-8, at www.chabadcapecod.com/mikvah.
Rabbi Yekusiel and Devorah Alperowitz have been serving the Cape Cod Jewish community since 1996. After many years, plans were finally set for the construction of the first Mikvah on Cape Cod for community and visitors as an addition to the Chabad Center. One year ago, they broke ground and have made significant progress since, with the project now 60% complete. To date, they have raised and spent $360,000 but require an additional $275,000 to complete the project due to the unforeseen rise in the cost of materials and labor.
Thanks to a close group of benefactors who pledged to double every dollar raised, every dollar you contribute today and tomorrow will have double effect in helping to reach their goal.
The plans include a commercial kitchen as an addition to the Chabad House and also an expanded social hall in the existing building so they can cater towards more visitors. “We’re expanding the kiddush room – social hall to more than double the size of what it was to accommodate our visitors and guests,” Rabbi Alperowitz said. “We provide hundreds of kosher meals to tourists during the summer months and have been catering from our house. The expansion will enable us to provide these services in a more efficient way with a chef and a place for visitors to sit down and eat.”
Until today, local women and visitors have to travel to Boston or Canton, over an hour’s drive away, to use the Mikvah. In the winter time women would have no choice but to travel the long distance to the Mikvah. In the warmer months they have the option of going to the ocean with the help of the Shlucha, Devorah Alperowitz, but that can be very challenging at times.
Leaving her family to take women is not always easy for Devorah, who has to leave in midst of her responsibilities after a long day of taking her kids to and from school two hours away. Often the ocean is cold, and it is pitch dark at night. The local lakes and ponds sometimes have algae or the gate is locked. “I would pray police wouldn’t come,” she said.
The Alperowitzs are hoping the Mikvah will be up and running by this spring. Hundreds of visitors come through the Chabad Center every summer. In the peak season, they have minyanim three times a day and people order freshly prepared kosher meals.
“With all the visitors coming here, there’s a real need for a Mikvah,” Rabbi Alperowitz explained. “Many people visit our center, but there are significantly more who contact us for information, accommodations, or religious services, including mikvah. It’s the key to the growth of the Jewish community and it will certainly help enable the growth of yiddishkeit on the Cape”.
Alperowitz noted two incidents of women who lived on the Cape and didn’t have children for years. When they started going to the mikvah, soon after, they were blessed with children.
“We’re humbled by all of the outpouring of support we had from visitors and community members who have come forward to take part of the great mitzvah of building a mikvah,” Rabbi Alperowitz said. “The mikvah is a source of brochah for children and sholom bayis so it’s a great zchus to participate.” To support the completion of this project now, go to: https://www.chabadcapecod.com/mikvah.
What town on the Cape?
Hyannis