Member Spotlight: Maayanot Community Mikveh of Minnesota

by Savannah Lipinski, Rising Tide Intern

Maayanot Community Mikveh of Minnesota is a mikveh initiative based out of the Twin Cities with the goal of serving the entire state of Minnesota and surrounding region. The idea for Maayanot emerged about seven years ago when Cantor Rachel Stock Spilker was on sabbsatical in Boston and served as a scholar in residence at Mayyim Hayyim Living Waters Community Mikveh. Through that experience, Cantor Spilker realized that she wanted to bring the open mikveh movement to Minnesota, and the idea for Maayanot was born. Since then, Maayanot has continued to grow their mikveh initiative and build partnerships within the community.  

Focus on community is one thing that makes Maayanot so unique. They have been a true community organization from the onset, ensuring that their future services and programs are accessible to all. Cantor Spilker recalls often being asked, “Why don’t you just build [the mikveh] into a synagogue?” She recognizes that, while that may have been easy, it goes against the large-scale community-focus Maayanot hopes to have. Maayanot wants to be “of the people and for the people” of the community. They not only hope to serve the entire Twin Cities area, but the state of Minnesota and surrounding area. Minnesota is home to many unique organizations and centers that draw visitors from out of state, including Mayo Clinic and several recovery and rehabilitation resources. Maayanot hopes to be seen as a resource for folks coming to Minnesota for any reason.  

Maayanot’s focus on community extends to their involvement in the Rising Tide Network, a resource they’ve turned to for advice and wisdom. They hope to offer the same to other mikveh initiatives in the Network. Cantor Spilker shared many experiences with the Rising Tide Network that she is grateful for, including speaking with architects based on the recommendations of other Network members, attending Rising Tide Gatherings, and learning from the experiences of other members. She reflected that, while Maayanot is a unique mikveh initiative spearheading their own partnerships and projects, many aspects of their mikveh were inspired by the work being done by other communities in the Rising Tide Network. She sees the Rising Tide Network as being a deeply generous community which she is extremely grateful to be a part of.  

Maayanot has had some major successes recently, including seating their board a few months ago, gaining their non-profit 501(c)(3) status, and launching their website this week. They are close to identifying a site for their mikveh, which will hopefully be co-located with another Jewish organization allowing for many opportunities for partnerships. Additionally, in partnership with another Rising Tide leader, Rabbi Haviva Ner-David, Cantor Spilker recently released a children’s book about mikveh called Yonah and the Mikveh Fish to help teach and spread the word about the open mikveh movement.  

Cantor Spilker emphasized why the work of the open mikveh movement is so important, stating, “The landscape of Jewish life is changing. As we look to the future, what are the organizations and rituals that are going to speak to people? I believe mikveh is incredibly powerful and limitless in the ways it can be used.” Naturally, as a cantor, she is often thinking musically, and she put together a playlist of water and mikveh themed music and is always looking for ways to infuse mikveh rituals and ceremonies with meaning through music. This is just one of many ways that Maayanot is contributing to the limitless possibilities of mikveh in the open mikveh movement.  

Learn more and connect with Maayanot Community Mikveh of Minnesota at www.tcjewfolk.com/maayanot/