Community Mikvah
The Adas Israel Community Mikvah
Immersion. Connection. Renewal.
A Mikvah is a Jewish ritual bath, requiring “living waters” sourced from rain. Oceans, rivers and other natural bodies of water are all kosher mikvahs. The ritual of immersion is rooted in centuries of Jewish tradition. It is a powerful way to experience an embodied spirituality and can connect a person to God, to their own body, to their ancestors and to the water cycle of our planet.
Our Mikvah is a Jewish sacred space designed to support Jewish ritual life and the personal transitions of individuals and families in the Jewish community. Traditional reasons for visiting the Mikvah, such as the mitzvah of immersing monthly, getting married, making dishes kosher, converting to Judaism, and preparing spiritually for Shabbat or holidays are welcome here. Equally encouraged are creative reasons to immerse, usually around major life transitions. Examples of this type of visit are varied but include reaching a milestone birthday, marking the end of a period of mourning, becoming a bar or bat mitzvah, or celebrating an anniversary.
Immersion in the mikvah is a highly personal and spiritual experience and we respect the privacy and dignity of each person who uses the mikvah.
Adas Mikvah Voted Best Mikvah in the Washington Jewish Week's Best Of Jewish Washington 2024
How Do I Book an Immersion?
You can now book a Mikvah immersion completely online, by clicking here. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to the Director of the Mikvah Rabbi Elianna Yolkut rabbi.yolkut@adasisrael.org.
What About Converting a Child?
Click Here to learn about the meaningful and beautiful process of converting a child in the Adas Israel Community Mikvah.
Mikvah Covid Protocols
All services and events at Adas Israel are mask optional effective Friday July 8th. Exposure to COVID-19 remains an inherent risky in any environment where multiple households are present. Therefore, mask-wearing is still encouraged in our congregational spaces. That said, we have reached a point whereby each individual will be able to consider these decisions and comfort levels for themselves.
It is our continued expectation that all eligible community members and guests be fully vaccinated in order to attend in-person gatherings, as defined by CDC recommendations
(primary series, plus at least one booster for those eligible), further mitigating the risk and severity of transmission among community members. Please have a copy of your vaccine card or a photo of it as you may be asked to present it upon entering the building.
What Are the Costs and Contacts?
For all questions, please email Mikvah@AdasIsrael.org.
Community Mikvah
WATER RITUALS IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS
DIY (Do It Yourself) Water Rituals
Body Positivity | Example of a Water Ritual
Our world is so upside down right now that sometimes the words to express ourselves aren't even there. Rituals give us space to feel and to process what might otherwise be inexpressible. Let water help your stuck places flow better through this difficult present moment.
Explore our resources for water rituals that you can create in your own home. You can use them on your own or set up a time with one of our Mikvah Guides to plan out a ritual for you to do by yourself at home.
This grounding earth-based Jewish ritual creation is for folks who are Mikvah-curious or Mikvah regulars. But the ritual you create doesn't have to entail immersion. Depending on where your ritual takes you, you might pour, drink, or spray water to express yourself. You don't have to buy anything special for this--you have everything you need. A Mikvah can hold you, suspend you
Explore these resources to create a DIY water ritual. Or click here if you'd like to schedule an exploratory conversation with one of our Mikvah Guides who can help make suggestions, format an idea for you in concrete steps, find a blessing, or suggest common household items to symbolize what your ritual is trying to express. There's no set format or expectation of what your ritual looks like--as long as you are deriving meaning of it.
Water Ritual Demonstration with Jodi Balis
Click Here to Watch!
Watch as Jodi Balis demonstrates a simple and meaningful water ritual that you can create at home.
Creating A Water Transition Ritual Of Your Own
Click Here for the Worksheet
This worksheet was designed to guide you through the process of creating a ritual. There are many suggestions, options and frameworks to assist you in this process.
If you have any questions, please feel free to discuss with a mikvah guide or click here to make an appointment for a consultation.