On Sunday I took a group of donors to one of our newest projects located in Stamford, CT.  The new mikvah is actually Stamford's third and is dedicated in memory of Senator Joe Lieberman's mother and grandmother. 

As the story goes, Stamford's first mikvah had fallen into disrepair some fifty years ago.  Stamford residents who wanted to use a mikvah would travel out rather than use the decrepit one in town.  Mrs. Minnie Manger, Senator Lieberman's grandmother sensed a problem.  As she put it, if everyone would stop using Stamford's mikvah then people in Stamford might forget the need for a mikvah and mikvah use.  Her solution was to give her daughter, Mrs. Marcia Lieberman, a clear directive.  No matter what - you must continue to use the Stamford mikvah.  That way people will see the need for a Stamford mikvah and not give up on mikvah use.  So Mrs. Lieberman continued to use the old mikvah. 

In the 1960's a "new" mikvah was built.  This second mikvah aged over the years to the point that, by this century, it was simply beyond hope.  Tiny, without a proper preparation room and in a basement that was prone to flooding in the wintertime, it just wasn't filling its function.  In fact, there were mikvah users in Stamford who actually stopped using a mikvah because there simply wasn't a welcoming one around.

Three years ago the community began considering the construction of a new mikvah.  The Lieberman family dedicated the new mikvah in memory of Minnie Manger and Marcia Lieberman.  The mikvah depleted its funds and construction slowed to almost a standstill.  They requested a grant from Mikvah USA and we were privileged to help complete the mikvah just weeks ago.  The mikvah is stunning and in just days since opening it has already brought new families to mikvah use.  So here is what grabs me.  When Mrs. Manger fought her battle for the mikvah some 60-70 years ago did she possibly imagine the far-reaching consequence of her mesiras nefesh for mikvah?  Could she possibly have envisioned the hundreds and thousands of tevillos that would be the outcome of her actions?  I wonder.  Yet here we are, decades later and taharah is again a vibrant force in Stamford.  New families are being attracted to taharah and the cycle is beginning anew.  And somewhere in Gan Eden Mrs. Manger's neshama is getting constant "promotions" asshe cashes in on the fruits of her foresight, vision and tenacity.  Every child born of the mikvah, every marriage that endures in sanctity brings her tremendous nachas ruach and zchus.  And we are doing the same exact thing at each and every project that we are working on.  Do you see what I mean? 

May we be zoche to build Klal Yisroel together.

In friendship,

Baruch

Baruch Cywiak

Director of Special Projects

P:718.338.0070

C: 347.262.5941

E:bcywiak@mikvahusa.org