With the sound of the shofar still echoing in our ears and Yom Kippur approaching, I wanted to share with you the revival of an ancient custom dear to my heart—women immersing in the mikveh on Erev Yom Kippur for spiritual purification. During a recent visit with members of the Jewish Women’s Foundation of Greater Palm Beaches, I shared a formula for this meaningful and poignant ritual which can greatly enhance your Yom Kippur experience. It's an incredible opportunity that allows for far beyond the regular tevilla experience. You can read about the re-emergence of this practice and the experience in these entries in Eden's blog. I share it here so that you can also try it.

The Eden Center's mission is to encourage women to see the mikveh as a place to connect to God and one's own spirituality, as a place in which women can support and educate one another, and connect the Jewish past and future in meaningful ways. Helping to revive the tevilla of Erev Yom Kippur is a powerful expression of that dream. Similarly, when I read Cheryl Burnat’s powerful thoughts for Rosh Hashana in our blog, I was touched by how women are sharing their experiences,  both traumatic and joyful, in ways that can help elevate one another.  Her blog was solicited in preparation for Eden's new program to guide women struggling with infertility in making the mikveh (and hilkhot niddah) a more positive experience for them, but the message resonates as a powerful call for all — elevating our tefilla and connecting each of us to God and one another.

We are looking forward to our new professional and community programs which will begin after Sukkot. Our second Hatan Teacher Training Program, in conjunction with Eretz Hemdah, will begin in November (see ad above), a new cohort of our Advanced Kallah teachers will begin in Gush-Etzion and we will continue to provide programming for balaniyot in Israel,  Eden LA, and in our partnership with Matan’s Morot Halakha program.  Community classes on peri-menopause, hilkhot chatziza and Intimacy and Halakha are among the many options being offered.

I hope that this new year brings with it health, spiritual fulfillment and b’sorot tovot for you and all of Am Yisrael,

                                 Naomi