One Step Closer to a New Mikvah

OUR COMMUNITY

One Step Closer to a New Mikvah

Southfi eld building site is prepared for Lahser Road Mikvah.

SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The new Southfield mikvah has taken a major step forward with the upcoming demolition of a house on its planned site at 11 Mile and Bell roads. Now, the land will be graded and prepared for construction of the new Lahser Road Mikvah. Planning and fundraising for the mikvah, located in the Young Israel of Southfield (YIS) neighborhood, began in 2017. Approximately 50 Jewish women in the area have had to travel to Mikvah Israel in Oak Park since the mikvah in the Farber Hebrew Day School Building in Southfield was demolished for construction of a new school building. That mikvah, originally part of Beth Achim Synagogue, had been operated by Young Israel for more than 20 years.

The lack of a nearby mikvah was a significant inconvenience on Sabbath and holidays when car travel is prohibited for Orthodox Jews. The Southfield women who used the Oak Park mikvah had to stay with friends nearby, postpone their mikvah visit until after the Sabbath or holidays, or walk four to six miles from home.

In addition, a mikvah is a central part of an Orthodox community and community members believe that having one nearby would help to recruit more new families to the area. About 40 Jewish families from other states and Israel have moved to the Young Israel of Southfield neighborhood — the 11 Mile-Lahser area — during the past six years, according to Cherie Levi, president of the all-women mikvah board and chair of its building committee.

Cherie Levi

Local women look forward to having a nearby mikvah.

LAHSER ROAD MIKVAH

COMMUNITY EFFORT

A group of community members supported the idea of building a new mikvah and undertook a needs assessment and survey of mikvah users in in 2017. Levi explains that a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation was established to build and operate the new Lahser Road Mikvah. She then began scouting the

LAHSER ROAD MIKVAH