Over the span of two days, the Scheck Hillel senior girls had the incredible experience of going to the Mikva and learning about Jewish intimacy and love. On Thursday, Rebitzin Chana came to Hillel to teach the girls the rules and meaning of Jewish intimacy. She spoke about the guidelines for kosher relations. On Friday, the girls, Rebitzin Chana and Dr. Barouk went to a Mikva and learned about the meaning and process of it. Rebitzin Chana is an intimacy coach and helps many women learn about relationships with men and with themselves. 

Rebitzin Chana was asked why she got involved with this area of Halacha. She responded, “When I was first married, my husband asked me to teach the bride of the wedding he was officiating. I said no because I did not feel as though I knew enough about the topic to be able to teach it. I asked if someone else could do it. We later found out that the woman who was supposed to teach her skipped town, and the bride ended up being unprepared. After this situation, I told myself that if it is my husband’s responsibility to officiate these weddings, I will make it my responsibility to make sure every bride and woman that goes to the Mikva appreciates what an incredible gift it is. As I started researching and learning more, I realized there was so much out there that most people don’t know. It is not only about times of separation. It is about times of togetherness. I felt as though this was God’s gift to us, and how could I not share that information.”

The Rebitzin took the girls on a tour of the Mikva facilities and taught them all about it. She spoke about the process of using the Mikva, why women should use it, and its deeper meaning. Natalie Esquenazi said, “I really enjoyed learning about the Mikva. It is something most of us don’t know enough about. I think it was very cool how we learned about it while we were in the Mikva room. It made it so much more real and interesting. We got to touch the water and see the whole facility. It was great seeing it first hand.”

A couple of the girls asked Dr. Barouk why she thought it was important for them to learn about this now. “I think it is important for all of our students to learn what the Torah has to say about the Jewish approach. Our Torah is the Torah of light, a guideline for how to live the best life as a Jew. I think this topic is not talked about enough, and it is essential to inform the younger generation because they are involved at a much younger age nowadays. Therefore, why not know what the Torah says about it before you get into a serious relationship.”

Learning about these Jewish values and mitzvot benefits the girls in so many ways. They will appreciate Judaism more and truly understand the values of Mikva and intimacy. They will cherish their relationships more and can know how to bring man and wife closer together once they get to that point in their life. The senior girls will go into the next chapter of their life with this information. They can take it with them daily and use it to love themselves and be better Jews. Using these values in their lives can be very beneficial in many ways. Rebitzin Chana and Dr. Barouk exposed the girls to very important Jewish traditions and rules they will use for the rest of their lives.