May 5, 2018

When one thinks of Alabama, vibrant Torah Judaism is likely not what first springs to mind. Nevertheless, a small but vibrant Orthodox Jewish community calls Alabama home and enjoys a full communal infrastructure: shuls, day school, kosher food and more. Over two decades ago, Chabad of Birmingham built a mikvah to serve the taharah needs of Jewish residents and visitors to the entire state. To date, the nearest mikvah is in Atlanta, a two-and-a-half-hour drive each way.

In recent years, however, time took its toll. The mikvah facilities appeared worn, and several items desperately needed repair. However, funds to properly repair and renovate the mikvah could not be raised solely from the small, working class local community. That all changed when Mikvah USA committed to help the Birmingham community see the project through fruition. Mikvah USA offered both financial and logistical assistance so that the Birmingham mikvah could be thoroughly repaired and renovated.

The Birmingham mikvah is now modern, fresh and extremely pleasant to use. Recently, Rabbi Yossi Posner of Chabad of Birmingham, along with other Rabbanim and community leaders from the state, led a beautiful Chanukas Habayis ceremony to celebrate the completion of this significant project. In a highly unusual occurrence, the venue of the Chanukas Habayis was actually filled beyond capacity!

A special Mikvah USA delegation traveled from New York to Birmingham for the occasion, eager to see firsthand the latest fruits of their efforts. Rabbi Posner stressed that the project could not have been accomplished without Mikvah USA’s multifaceted assistance.  “Every yid deserves to have a mikvah that is close by, pleasant to use and of the highest standard of kashrus,” says Rabbi Yitzchok Bistritzky, shlit”a, Founder and President of Mikvah USA. “Thanks to siyatta d’Shmaya and our many partners in this avodas hakodesh, we continue making progress toward this goal every day.”