Today, a group of women from Brandeis visited the Western Well Community Mikvah in Natick, located
adjacent to and on the property of the Chabad Center. Chanie Chein, from Chabad of Waltham and Brandeis, organized the
visit for the women who had studied mikvah and Jewish womanhood with her over the past semester.
In between finals and the pressures of end-of-semester assignments, the students chose to make time for a trip to explore the most sacred space in a Jewish Community - the mikvah.
The tour began with a warm welcome and greetings led by Chanie
Fogelman, followed by an insightful exploration of the mikvah led by Chanie Chein. The tour ended off with a hands-on experience of immersing their souvenir "Western Well Mikvah" mugs into the dish mikvah.
Would you like to arrange for a mikvah tour? Would you like to learn about Mikvah? Feel free to reach out to Chanie at [email protected].
The Mei Menachem Western Well Mikvah has been serving the Metrowest Jewish Community and beyond for 19 years and is now entering its 20th year! It has served over 1000 families in this time. We hope to celebrate this milestone soon. The building has been kept up beautifully—and people often comment to this day how modern, clean and well-kept the place looks. However, over the years, it's natural that some of the systems will go. And so it is - that the heating system has completely failed after 19 years of use. (The AC unit is also on its last legs and is being replaced as part of cost-affective bundle.) 
Almost 700 out of 1000 bowls are presently adorning the lobbies of the Mikvah and the Chabad Center in Natick. What is this all about? The Mega Challah Bake is now less than two weeks away and almost 20 Chabad Centers are involved in the planning and preparation for this magical event. 
Where does one go when dishes need to be immersed? Right here in Natick, we are blessed to have a stunning spa-like Mikvah which also features a separate dish mikvah. The Posner and Fogelman crews have spent many hours between transporting, pealing off labels, immersing in the mikvah, washing and drying the bowls which will be used by 1000 women at the Mega Challah Bake. In the next few days, we will still be doing more. If anyone wants to help with this, please let us know. But most important, if you haven't signed up yet for this amazing event, please do so right away - last year was all sold out. 
Please let me know if you would like to sit at the tables with our group. 
thor of several books, shared with us “Secrets of the Garden” in her talk about relationships - and what can be learned about men and women from the story of the Garden of Eden. For those who couldn’t make it and said to me “I wish I could have been there” and for all those who were there, and would like a refresher… here we go.
did the same for men’s comments. She did this several times always engaging the participants. Using specific examples, she explained how these differences in styles date back to our origins even as the Torah describes in Adam and Eve right from the beginning. It’s natural that there can be challenges when we are wired differently like that. And yet, when we have tools to work things through and truly try to understand the other, this can make the relationship especially meaningful and even passionately so. 
the groom. There is the ring that the bride receives, perfectly round. We see this line and circle theme on many levels – from the physiological make up even to emotional styles. While a man might prefer the straight line approach in getting from “point a” to “point b”, the woman might choose the circular path. While on the path she makes connections… Is one way better than the other? Each may have its benefits but how does this work for compatibility? Chana continued to share more thoughts and ideas of what can be helpful in this potentially dichotomous situation.
specifically my interest in the roles of women (I’m a woman). Since September I’ve been in a class about what it means to be a Jewish woman. 
will say is learn about mikvah! It is more important for a community to have a mikvah than even having a Torah - learn why. 
ould I arrange that?”
Thanks to two wonderful anonymous donors, new shower systems were made possible for the women's preparation rooms at the Mei Menachem Western Well Community Mikvah. The mikvah which serves Jewish communities in the Metrowest and beyond is recognized for its state-of-the-art modern spa-like facilities. The top quality shower heads with the flexible hoses that were puchased and installed recently were the result of generous contributions and lots of time spent researching the best options. Already in the short time since the installation, many clients have experienced the new shower systems and expressed their appreciation for this wonderful and important upgrade. The mikvah provides tours and education for groups and/or individuals who want to learn more. Please feel free contact me at 
This past Monday, April 4, a group of about 20 girls, seniors of Maimonides High School, came to visit the Mei Menachem Western Well Community Mikvah (adjacent to the Chabad Center) as part of their Curriculum on Jewish Womenhood. The students were excited to learn about the Mikvah and the Mitzvah of Taharat Hamishpocho, Family Purity. They are aware that this will become an integral part of their lives eventually when they find their bashert (yiddish for "intended") and get married. They were wowed by the stunning spa-like state-of-the-art facilities. 
n Well, the Mikvah at Chabad of Natick, was always fully stocked with the requisite supplies. I recently had a great moment that moved me so much that I asked if I could share it with you all. 
offering towels at a great price. I put the order in at both places and spent the rest of the day feeling great about my “mission accomplished”. That night I checked the email confirmation of the order and noticed that instead of white towels, the color was listed as Sterling – light grey towels - not ok! In a panic I wrote to the supplier, explaining my situation and the confusion. I went onto their website and looked for other options, and also found their direct contact info. The next morning I called the company and spoke to a lovely woman. I was relieved to hear that other people had made the same mistake I had, looking at the photo and seeing white. She told me she would get back to me later on that day. I returned home that afternoon to find a message from a Mr. Sam Kugler. I knew from looking at the website that the name of the family that owned the company was Kugler. “Wow” I thought to myself, “someone from the family is making the call himself! “
answered the phone. He knew who I was and what the problem was. He told me that he had checked with the factory and - they did not have any white towels left. I told him that the towels were for a Jewish organization and the there was something in our tradition called a mikvah. “Oh we built a dish mikvah here at the office“ says Sam, and we proceed to have a lengthy discussion about the pipes that collect the rainwater for a mikvah! Then my new best friend Sam says to me, “I am going to another factory tomorrow, I will look for towels for you.”
st week’s Parsha (Torah portion), Vayeira, Abraham communicates directly with Hashem, advocating on behalf of the Jewish nation. Rabbi Fogelman commented that Abraham was such a potent leader that he had the direct line to Hashem and that we as regular people don’t have that power. Rather we catch glimpses of the direct connection in subtle moments, which reveal themselves to us if we are lucky enough to notice. Sam and I both had such a moment. We were both blessed to experience the power of Hashem’s alignment, that through an order for towels over the internet, I would meet a man who not only knew what a mikvah is, but built one for his community. I ended the conversation with Sam by saying, “Sam when you go to the factory, look for new robes for us!”
r of Natick and the Mei Menachem Western Well Community Mikvah, the Fogelmans have created moments and opportunities for all of us to experience the power of Hashem. May their work stand as a blessing for them and their family, and may the community continue be enriched and strengthened!
nar which was sponsored by the Mei Menachem Western Well Community Mikvah. This event was not open to the public - it was specifically geared to mikvah attendants and those who teach about the mitzvah of Family Purity or Taharat Hamishpocho. Mikvahs from Central and Eastern MA as well as RI were represented by their staff including Daughters of Israel of Brookline, the Brighton Mikvah, the Sharon Mikvah, The Worcester Mikvah, some from the Providence Mikvah as well as, of course, our very own staff of Western Well Mikvah volunteers. Rebbitzens from many Chabad Centers who are activly involved in teaching about mikvah were there as well. We were honored to have as featured guest speaker Rabbi Yirmiyahu Katz of Brooklyn, NY, who runs a Kollel in Boro Park, NY, authored a scholarly book on Mikvahs which has endorsements from recognized Rabbis in NY and Israel, travels around the world to oversee the Halachic aspects of Mikvah construction projects, is a halachic authority and answers questions about Mikvah issues from people who call from all over. 
might notice in the photos - the women were looking under the stairs to see where the rain water collection meets the upper pool. The last part of the tour was a hands-on experience at the dish mikvah. Each woman was given a mug to immerse or "toivel" in the dish mikvah. Then everyone gathered outside at the end, proudly held up their souvenir mugs - and said "L'Chaim".
the maze of wedding planning and preparation? How else could anyone be sure that no detail is overlooked? With the worries off their shoulders, they know with confidence that this will be an absolutely perfect wedding.
We are fortunate to have a modern, state-of-the-art, spa-like Mikvah locally. The stunning Mei Menachem Western Well Community Mikvah in Natick serves the MetroWest Jewish Communities and offers educational opportunities including tours to help familiarize people with the observance of mikvah. Many brides come before their wedding to ensure a solid spiritual foundation for their marriage. Many women from all walks of Jewish life continue to come regularly. Whether it’s a bride who comes for her first time or a woman who has come many times before, each visit is a special experience. To learn more about mikvah, to arrange for a tour, or for more information about the Western Well Mikvah, please visit 
However, over the course of the years, with the wear and tear caused by weather, water usage, and simply the passage of time, some things needed a little extra attention. With funds as tight as they are, it wasn't certain how some repairs would happen.
y decided on some evergreens to create a more formal look for the Mikvah.
mostly whites.
For the last six years, since the Western Well Mikvah opened its doors to serve the Metrowest Jewish Community and beyond, Yonah Joel was the one who lovingly oversaw the inventory. She always made sure that the Mikvah had all items needed in stock. We gratefully acknowledge Yonah’s commitment and dedication in this important role for all these years. While stepping down from this position, we are very fortunate that Yonah Joel is maintaining her other volunteer position as one of our Mikvah attendants. (More on our wonderful Mikvah attendants another time.)
At this time we are pleased to announce that our new inventory volunteer is Dena Judah. Dena and her husband Ralph were founders and pillars in the building campaign for the Mikvah. It is exciting to have Dena on board for this important position which in addition to responsibility and commitment also requires lots of TLC (tender loving care). 
The Mikvah is stunning and taking care of it is a labor of love. If you haven’t yet seen our Mikvah, come and visit. It would be my pleasure to show you around. Call me and we’ll figure out a time that works well on both ends.