Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Education
Mission
Mayyim Hayyim’s mission is to reclaim and reinvent one of Judaism’s most ancient rituals–immersion in the mikveh–for contemporary spiritual use; to teach about this resource to all who are interested; and to make the mikveh a sacred space that is open and accessible to all Jews and those who are becoming Jews.
Ruling year
2001
Chief Executive Officer
Julie Childers
Main address
1838 Washington St
Newton, MA 02466 USA
EIN
31-1753931
NTEE code
Single Organization Support (X11)
Jewish (X30)
Religion Related, Spiritual Development N.E.C. (X99)
IRS filing requirement
This organization is not required to file an annual return with the IRS because it is a religious organization.
Communication
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
In 2000, best-selling author Anita Diamant outlined her vision for a community mikveh. Diamant made the case for a mikveh that “encourages the prayers of the heart in Jews of every denomination and description. A mikveh that would respect the choices and modesty of everyone who visits. A mikveh that would be beautiful in design and decoration — a welcoming and inviting place, from the minute you walk through the door."
Mayyim Hayyim makes mikveh accessible and meaningful for the full diversity of our people for the first time in Jewish history. A local treasure and an international model since 2004, Jews from around the US and Israel routinely stop at Mayyim Hayyim to tour, learn, and immerse. And whoever calls, or walks through our doors, or sends an email receives a thoughtful response and a warm welcome.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Mikveh Immersion
Mayyim Hayyim meets a broad range of needs. In addition to traditional purposes, new uses include celebrations for milestone events such as a graduation, the end of a period of study, or an important birthday or anniversary. Immersion in the mikveh can also signify a new start in the aftermath of pain and trauma. Immersion provides an opportunity to mark the end of formal grieving or the beginning of healing from events such as suffering a miscarriage, undergoing chemotherapy, completing a year of bereavement, and recovering from divorce, rape or abuse. The goal is for visitors to the mikveh to emerge refreshed and renewed, ready for life’s next gifts.
Education Center
The majority of visitors to Mayyim Hayyim never get wet. Every year, more than 2,500 students of nearly every age and background attend some 100 education programs. Groups come in-person or learn online virtually from synagogues, day schools, college and university groups, book clubs, non-profit organizations, and fellowship programs. Programs have attracted visitors from all over the United States, Canada, England, Israel, the former Soviet Union, and South Africa.
All Mayyim Hayyim curricula are interactive, stress student participation and encourage open discussion in a safe, welcoming environment. All programs welcome the participation of people regardless of marital status, religious affiliation, sexual identity, or Jewish literacy.
Art Gallery
One of Mayyim Hayyim’s seven founding principles is Hiddur Mitzvah, the rabbinic teaching that Jewish life should be beautiful. Our art gallery is one of the ways we take this mandate seriously – and joyfully.
The Mayyim Hayyim gallery opened in January of 2006 with a juried show that featured 23 regional artists, who submitted work on the theme, “Everything Begins in the Water.”
The gallery has since hosted over 40 exhibits, featuring local artists like Nancy Schön, creator of the famous “Make Way for Ducklings” sculpture. The exhibits have featured various media, from pottery to video installation, photography to blown glass.
Mayyim Hayyim is a proud member of CAJM, the Council of American Jewish Museums.
Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network
The Rising Tide Open Waters Mikveh Network is working to make mikveh immersions possible for everyone in the Jewish community.
The Rising Tide Network was founded to inspire, strengthen, and support individuals and communities in opening the doors to the mikveh, making the experience as inclusive and accessible as possible. We believe that providing for the spiritual needs of the full diversity of the Jewish people will help create a more vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive community for all.
Our network is committed to fostering and strengthening open mikva’ot all over the United States, and indeed around the world, so that no Jew has to travel far to experience everything that the mikveh experience offers.
Where we work
Awards
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2017
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2015
Slingshot
Women and Girls Supplement 2016
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2014
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2013
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2012
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2011
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2010
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2009
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2008
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2007
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2006
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2005
Slingshot
Annual compilation of the most inspiring and innovative Jewish organizations 2018
Slingshot
Affiliations & memberships
Upstart Venture Accelerator 2021
External reviews
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of overall donors
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Jewish people, Parents, Families, Children and youth
Related Program
Mikveh Immersion
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Maintain and operate a kosher mikveh serving the Jewish community.
Provide a welcoming, beautiful place for both traditional and creative mikveh uses.
Support a welcoming, beautiful place for converts to Judaism and their extended families.
Foster new uses for mikveh for the 21st century Jewish community (e.g. healing rituals following illness or loss).
Provide information and welcome those interested in observing the mitzvah (commandment) of niddah, monthly immersion in the mikveh.
Promote meaningful and successful volunteer experiences at all levels of the organization as an integral component of our organizational culture. Recognize and promote the unique interests of men in traditional and contemporary mikveh practice and promote the participation of men in all aspects of Mayyim Hayyim.
Provide educational resources regarding the uses of mikveh, including curricula, teacher training, and presentations by staff and volunteers.
Serve as an example of an innovative and pluralistic Jewish institution that collaborates with local, regional and national organizations to provide meaningful resources and personal experiences to all interested Jews, and those becoming Jewish.
Establish Mayyim Hayyim as a national / international resource for education and professional training for reclaiming mikveh.
Encourage artistic expression as a means of achieving Mayyim Hayyim's various goals.
Secure the financial future of Mayyim Hayyim by operating in a fiscally responsible manner and through such means as debt reduction, annual fund, and endowment development.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
1. Broaden the impact of our programming
-Expand our education center to offer robust programming to diverse audiences around the world
-Inspire more people to innovate and make meaning in their own Jewish lives
-Lower barriers to immersion
-Create pipelines for new partnerships and programs
-Use storytelling and the arts to illustrate the power of immersion
2. Build the field of open mikveh
-Continue to build a vibrant network of open mikva’ot with ample opportunities for learning and collaboration
-Amplify a set of values that represent best practices of open mikveh
-Build an onramp for communities without mikva’ot
-Help direct funding to partners in the network
3. Design a strong “irrigation system” to nourish and sustain this work
-Navigate growth through a new organizational model & expanded governance structure
-Scale our culture prioritizing connectedness between and among staff and board; focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion
-Promote financial sustainability though revenue generation and elevating national profile
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh and Education
Board of directorsas of 07/21/2023
Elisha Gechter
Anita Diamant
Amy Fleming
Rachel Saphire
Elisha Gechter
Dalia Wassner
Karen Wolfson
Keith Stern
Carol Targum
Deb Gaffin
Miriam Berkowitz-Blue
Jordan Namerow
Jaimee Shalhevet
Dara Steinberg
James Schwartz
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.
Equity strategies
Last updated: 02/05/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
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