Judaism
Mikva
Mikva (Hebrew for flowing together) defines the building that contains a ritual bath, as well as the bath itself, used by a Jewish community. The mikva building and the amount and proportion of water that it must contain are specifically regulated. At least 750 litres of the water used must come from a natural source – such as rain, snow, ice, a river, a lake or the sea. For this reason, mikvas are usually built below ground, at ground-water level.
A mikva’s purpose is solely that of ritual purification and not hygienic cleansing. Direct contact with blood as well as with corpses is considered impure. In Judaism, corporal purity is inseparable from spiritual purity. For this reason, immersion in a mikva is required both for people who have been in contact with a corpse and for women whose monthly period has ended, because their unfertilised eggs have died. The ritual requires that no foreign object be placed between the person and the pure water into which they immerse themselves. For this reason, all foreign objects such as clothing, jewellery, wedding rings, make-up and the like are removed before immersion. The entire body, including the hair, must be entirely immersed. The process of complete immersion is called tvilah.
The Jewish Community of Berlin operates a mikva in the Joachimstaler Synagogue as well as one at the Oranienburger Strasse Synagogue.
There is a mikva in Chabad Educational Center. For more information: www.mikva.de, contact: Mrs. Marina Schamrakow, mobile: 0172 3921607.
Arrangements for using either of the mikvot must made by phone, in advance.
Adress & Contact
Mikwe Joachimstaler Straße
Joachimstalerstraße
Berlin
Contact
Verantwortliche
Frau Ehrenberg (0 30) 21 12 27 3
Betreuerin
Frau Masal Daus (0 30) 88 37 19 7
Send a message
Mikwe Oranienburger Straße
Oranienburger Str. 28 – 31
10117 Berlin
Tel.: (0 30) 88 02 8-253
Contact
Verantwortliche
Rabbinerin Gesa S. Ederberg (0 30) 88 02 8-253
Betreuerin
Frau Esther Kontarsky (0 30) 88 02 8-253