Park Slope Mikvah

Betty Katz Womens Mikvah

Mikvah for Men

The Sarah Drizin Building

292 15th St., Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 11215 718-965-9836

Eternal Traditions Contemporary Life

Park Slope is known as a beautiful and welcoming neighborhood a great place to live and raise a family. Its beautiful brownstone homes, its proximity to Prospect Park, and its cultural climate make the Slope one of the most sought-after areas in the city. Park Slope boasts a vibrant and growing Orthodox synagogue, Congregation Bnai Jacob. At CBJ, the rich tapestry of Torah-true Judaism is joyfully celebrated. The observance of Mitzvos, the simcha of Shabbos, the warmth of family and friends are all central to the CBJ experience. Embracing the complexities of modern life, the community strives to grow in its faithfulness to the timeless traditions of Torah. Every individual is recognized and valued for his or her unique talents and contributions to the community. Women and men alike are encouraged to engage in Torah study and to explore paths of meaningful spiritual growth. The Congregation opens its doors and its hearts to all Jews, irrespective of their current level of learning or observance. Everyone has the opportunity to develop a deeper appreciation of their rich Torah legacy. The Park Slope Mikvah is vital. Its very presence will define Park Slope as a true Jewish Community and bring more Jewish families to the area. Ongoing outreach and educational efforts will encourage men as well as women to learn how they will benefit from Family Purity. The Mikvah will enable many more Jewish families to embrace this central tenet of Judaism as part of their lives.

Wellspring of LivingWaters
In the beginning there was only water. A miraculous compound, it is the primary source and vivifying factor of all sustenance and, by extension, all life as we know it. But Judaism teaches it is more. For these very same attributes water as source and sustaining energy are mirrored in the spiritual. Water has the power to purify: to restore and replenish life to our essential, spiritual selves. The mikvah surrounds us from all sides, recalling both the womb and the grave; the portals to life and afterlife. It is crucial to dispel the myth that purity is the religious term for clean, and impurity the concomitant term for dirty. Impurity is neither tangible nor discernible; it is a spiritual condition. When we study the text, we see that the Torah clearly makes spiritual purity a requisite to entrance into the realm of the holy. In biblical times, and through the Second Temple period, the interplay of purity and impurity took center stage in Jewish life. Entrance to holy space first the tabernacle and later the Holy Temples was contingent on spiritual purity. In the present era, it is not possible to observe all of the Torahs many laws regarding purity. Thus, today, the primary use of the Mikvah is the final step in the monthly preparation for what Judaism considers the most sacred of unions: that of husband and wife.

It is in family life that we build the most hallowed of all hallowed shrines. Immersion in the mikvah is the gateway to the holiness of conjugality, Family Purity. For a woman who follows the Laws of Family Purity, the Mikvah experience is cyclical and is part of the natural rhythm of life. Immersion in the mikvah engenders a heightened state of holiness and aware-ness of Gods presence. To emerge from the mikvahs waters is to experience spiritual rebirth in anticipation of a new sacred and physical dimension of life. A mikvah is a gathering of water that has a designated connection to natural water. The pool is designed specifically for immersion, according to the rules and customs of Jewish law.

A mikvah must contain a minimum of forty seah (around 750 liter or 198 gallons) of water. The forty seah correspond to the forty days and nights that the earth was covered in the waters of the Great Flood. Just as the earth needed to be totally submerged for forty days in order to begin anew, so too a woman immerses herself in at least forty seah of water. The actual height of the water is usually about 1.2 m. (4 ft.) above floor level not too shallow and not too deep.

In all your habitations

Most people view the synagogue as the central institution in Jewish life. But Jewish Law states that constructing a mikvah takes precedence even over building a house of worship. Even a Torah Scroll, Judaism's most venerated treasure, may be sold to raise funds for the building of a mikvah. In fact, in the eyes of Jewish law, a group of Jewish families living together do not attain the status of a community if they do not have a communal mikvah. The mikvah has been the mainstay of Jewish life since the dawn of Judaism. Wherever Jews have lived, they have dedicated themselves and their resources to the construction and maintenance of this sacred institution. The modern mikvah is built to be both spiritually and physically comfortable. Fully equipped preparation rooms are constructed so as to ensure absolute comfort and modesty. Like the entire facility, the mikvah itself is kept scrupulously clean at all times.
Pictures (clockwise from top left): Tampa, FL; Reno, NV; Coram, NY; Oak Park, CA.

Exterior (Artistic Rendering)

Unobtrusive, elegant faade. Blends well into neighborhood aesthetic. Street level entry will accommodate parking for two vehicles.

The Womens Mikvah Suite

The architect has designed a suite for the womens mikvah that will incorporate three beautifully appointed preparation rooms. Because the preparation rooms open directly into the mikvah salon, absolute privacy is assured for multiple users. Separate entry and exit doors further aid in ensuring complete confidentiality and utmost comfort. The mikvah itself will be built to the most exacting standards of Jewish Law.

Modesty and Elegance

The Entrance andGround Floor

Off-street parking in carport. Main entrance leading to womens waiting room and to staircase leading to the womens mikvah suite on the lower level. Secondary entrance leading to ground-floor mens mikvah during mens hours, and serving as a private exit from the womens mikvah during womens hours. Third entrance leading to staircase to upper level guest rooms and conference/education area.

Upper Level:
Hospitality Suite and Conference/Education Area

Park Slope is fortunate to be the home of New York Methodist Hospital, one of the citys premier healthcare facilities. As a result there is a tremendous need in the neighborhood for a pleasant, discreet place to stay for those observant Jews who may be celebrating the birth of a child, visiting loved ones in the hospital or seeking treatment as well as for other guests in the community. The Park Slope Mikvah will therefore include, on the upper level, two comfortable rooms, a bathroom, and a small kitchenette for the use of Jewish guests who find themselves in our community and who prefer private accommodations over being hosted by a local family. In addition, a large conference-size room will accommodate educational lectures, meetings, and other community needs as they arise. Since the times of the patriarch Abraham, Jewish tradition has placed a great deal of emphasis on the importance of hospitality to those in need, and we are indeed pleased that our Mikvah building will provide these facilities.

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Hospitality to Wayfarers is greater than greeting the Divine Presence.

(the Talmud, tractate Shabbos, 127)

Dedication and Support Opportunities

MIKVAH CAMPUS WOMENS MIKVAH BOR natural rainwater reservoir WOMENS PREPARATION ROOM 1 WOMENS PREPARATION ROOM 2 WOMENS PREPARATION ROOM 3 STAIRWAY WOMENS WAITING ROOM UPSTAIRS COMMUNITY SPACE UPSTAIRS STAIRWAY GUEST ROOM #1 GUEST ROOM #2 UPSTAIRS KITCHENETTE UPSTAIRS ENTRANCE STREET LEVEL ENTRANCE PLAZA MAIN ENTRANCE DOOR STREET LEVEL WINDOWS ENTRY MEZUZAH OTHER MEZUZOT MENS MIKVAH MENS SHOWER ROOM MENS CHANGING ROOM $360,000 180,000 54,000 36,000 36,000 36,000 36,000 26,000 54,000 36,000 26,000 26,000 18,000 7,200 10,800 10,800 3,600 each 3,600 1,800 each 72,000 36,000 26,000

...
... .

and all those who faithfully tend to the needs of the Community ... the Holy One, blessed be He, will reward them.and send blessing and success to all that they do.
(from the Shabbos prayers)

CHECKS PAYABLE TO:

RCBB PARK SLOPE MIKVAH 70 PROSPECT PARK WEST, APT. 1C BROOKLYN, NY 11215

UTILITY ROOM 9,000 INTERCOM/COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM 5,400 HEATING/ AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM 54,000 WELLSPRING OF LIFE FOUNDERS PLAQUE GOLD 1,800 SILVER 1,000

MAILING ADDRESS:

FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL RABBI SHIMON HECHT, 718-965-9836.