Lexington Miqvah Fund: Thoughts for the High Holy Days and Sukkot.

Lexington Miqvah Fund

Our mission is to build a small, attractive, egalitarian, kosher miqvah facility in the Central Kentucky area. We want to be able to enjoy the convenience of a local facility to observe mitzvot and to commemorate both private and public lifestyle events, broaden our spirituality, and connect with our ancestors in an unbroken line of observance stretching back to antiquity - and on into the future!

We wish to participate in the growing spiritual trend that is sweeping the nation to reclaim and reinvent one of Judaism's most ancient rituals - immersion in the miqvah - for contemporary spiritual use. We will teach about this resource for all men and women who are interested in new ways to express their individuality, and make the miqvah a sacred space that is open and accessible to all Jews including Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, Renewal, Reconstructionist, Unaffiliated, and Secular, including those in the process of becoming Jews.

In order to fulfill this mission, we have these goals in mind:

1. Provide a welcoming, beautiful place for traditional and creative miqvah uses.
2. Foster new ceremonial uses for the miqvah relevant to the 21st century Jewish community.
3. Provide information and accessible hours for those observing the mitzvah of niddah.
4. Recognize and promote the unique interests of men and women in traditional and contemporary miqvah practice.
5. Provide educational resources (both classes and teaching materials) regarding the uses of the miqvah.
6. Secure the financial future of the facility by operating in a fiscally responsible manner and through such means as debt avoidance, annual fund, and endowment development.

The Bluegrass area has been without a community miqvah for many years now. Join the Lexington Miqvah Fund in this historic opportunity to being both tradition and a modern spiritual practice back to the area.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Thoughts for the High Holy Days and Sukkot.

Dear Friends,

The sound of the Rosh Hashana shofar fades away and the sweet taste of apples and honey slowly dissipates. The sanctity and solemnity of Yom Kippur loom ahead. Each of us is in a contemplative state, thinking of the rapidly disappearing past year and praying for the coming New Year that is upon us.

We pray fervently for this New Year to be filled with peace and blessings for ourselves, our loved ones, our friends, neighbors and community. We ask The Eternal to look kindly upon us and forgive us for all the myriad ways we have done just a bit less than we should have, helped not quite as much as we could have and we ask for the strength and wisdom to be better this year, to do better this year.

Each of us is besieged with requests to do more, to give more, to help more. It is easy to postpone that doing and giving. Easy to delete the email messages, hang up on the phone calls and toss the snail mailings in the trash bin.

Take a moment to think about helping us in our work to bring a sacred ritual back to Lexington. Your generosity of either time or money will allow us to take this project forward.

By being part of something that is bigger than yourself, something that is part of the worldwide Jewish people, you are showing everyone, and The Eternal, that you care! You show that there is achdus in your heart, compassion in your soul and concern for fellow Jews and the spiritual direction of our community.

Assimilation is a huge and growing problem. The solution is not more of the same, but rather a revitalization of local Judaism. We can do this by bringing spirituality that our forebears enjoyed into a vibrant and modern practice that reaches out to and respects people at all levels of Jewish life.

May the merit of your generosity bring you added peace and blessing for a New Year filled with good health, happiness and abundant joy.

Shalom!