View original PDF of the Mikvah letter from the Vaad Harabbonim of Greater Cleveland
March 16, 2017
Dear Community member,
The greater Cleveland community has been blessed with several Mikvaos that have serviced the community for decades. Individuals and groups have dedicated time and money over the years to ensure that Jewish families can adhere to the halachos of family purity. Those involved have always prioritized the beauty, purity and sacredness of the mitzvah of Mikvah, while striving to provide a secure and pleasant experience for the women who use the facilities.
Boruch Hashem, our city is growing by leaps and bounds. Over one hundred and twenty new families have moved to Cleveland in the past year and a half alone. The size, location and condition of our current Mikvaos have been posing challenges to the comfort of our patrons, and further research indicated that we will outgrow the current Mikvaos’ capacity in the very near future.
The Vaad HaRabbanim, along with members of the community, realized that the current mikvaos can in fact no longer properly service the community, and that there is a need to build a new Mikvah; one that will be larger, attractive and state-of-the-art, and that will drastically improve the user’s experience and properly meet the growing demand. Additionally, a new and beautiful Mikvah can potentially inspire women who have not previously maintained taharas hamishpachah to now undertake this tremendous mitzvah.
Rav Moshe Feinstein of blessed memory writes that every community must build a Mikvah in a safe place where the privacy of those who use the Mikvah will be preserved. He strongly encouraged building a Mikvah with the highest aesthetic and hygienic standards to promote Mikvah attendance by even the most discerning individuals.
Plans are underway for a new Mikvah to be built at 2588 South Green Road, a location within our greater community, yet one that still allows for discreet access. It will contain twelve preparation rooms and two immersion pools, with an ergonomically designed floor plan to ensure privacy and efficiency, as well as space for expansion if and when needed. There will also be accommodations for the physically challenged.
Communal support, both financial and otherwise, will be critical for the success of this project. We therefore urge all community members to support this holy endeavor, and to participate in the many opportunities and functions that will be required to bring this monumental community project to completion.
Rabbi Binyamin Blau
Rabbi Yehuda Blum
Rabbi Naphtali Burnstein
Rabbi Yehuda Cahan
Rabbi Sholom Ber Chaikin
Rabbi Alexander Charlop
Rabbi Raphael Davidovich
Rabbi Moshe Garfunkel
Rabbi Dovid Aaron Gross
Harav Yisrael Grumer, Nosi
Rabbi Boruch Hirschfeld
Rabbi Aharon Yoel Kushner
Rabbi Aharon Dovid Lebovics
Rabbi Yitzchak Margareten
Rabbi Mordechai Mendelson
Rabbi Ephraim Nisenbaum
Rabbi Ari Spiegler
Rabbi Shmuel Spitz