Bozeman, MT – Believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in that part of the American West, a newly-built Jewish ritual bath in Montana is serving Jewish residents from Wyoming, Idaho, North and South Dakota, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
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And for a Jewish community numbering 2,500 people and stretched across the fourth-largest U.S. state, the new Mei Menachem Mikvah – established by Chabad-Lubavitch of Montana co-directors Rabbi Chaim and Chavie Bruk – has transformed locals’ learning about the Torah’s laws of family purity from abstract exercise to practical application.
“Before the mikvah was built, it was almost impossible to educate anyone about the Jewish laws of family purity because the nearest ritual bath was a seven-hour drive away in Salt Lake City, Utah,” said Chavie Bruk, who holds regular classes for women on the subject. “This is a milestone to Jewish life in Montana and is totally beyond our expectations.”
Essentially a pool of water connected to a reservoir of rainwater or snow melt, a mikvah is a fixture of most established Jewish communities. A necessary component of the laws governing Jewish family life, the ritual baths are traditionally visited by married women on a monthly basis to acquire ritual purity. An increasing number of men have also taken up a custom, followed mainly by Chasidim, of immersing themselves in a mikvah prior to morning prayer services.
The one in Bozeman – which, like all mikvahs, conforms to dimensions laid out in the Code of Jewish Law – took two years to build. It is named after the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, who stressed the importance of studying and following Judaism’s family laws. Rabbi Gershon Grossbaum, a leading mikvah authority based in S. Paul, Minn., supervised the construction.
The new building is located in the backyard of the Chabad House, where the Bruks run Torah classes, a synagogue, Hebrew school, and provide Shabbat and holiday meals. Inside the mikvah facility is one ritual pool adjoining an elaborate bathroom, complete with a custom vanity, Jacuzzi bathtub, chandeliers and Venetian mosaic tiles, which Chavie Bruk designed with the help of the Montana Tile and Stone Company.
“It is stunningly beautiful,” said Holly Lifson, a 49-year-old financial professional. “It’s really an oasis. They did a fantastic job with the layout and the beauty of the mikvah. It’s really sparkling.”
Home to the state’s only Jewish ritual bath, Chabad-Lubavitch of Montana also offers Shabbat services, Torah classes and a Hebrew school.
The Bozeman resident added that the ritual bath will be sure to enhance Jewish life in the state, both for its 2,500-strong community and the many Jewish tourists who vacation in the area. Prior to the bath’s opening, visitors to nearby Glacier National Park had to drive or fly to Calgary, Canada.
“The mikvah has been welcomed with open arms,” said Bruk, who moved to Montana two years ago. “People are calling to learn about the mikvah and we’re showing them that they can have both a pleasurable and meaningful experience.”
Justine Phelps, a software engineer, agreed that the mikvah will “do wonders” for Jews in Montana. She also admired the facility’s attention to detail.
“It is one of the most beautiful mikvahs I’ve ever seen,” said Phelps, 38. “They’ve gone the extra mile to make it amazing.”
Open for three months, the ritual bath has brought an average of three women monthly to the Chabad House, and with the advent of the summer tourist season, is expected to be used regularly.
“Montana might be a ‘live and let live’ type of place, but for the Jewish residents here, traditions are important,” asserted Bruk. “The addition of a mikvah demonstrates that a traditional lifestyle can be maintained smack dab in the middle of the Wild West.”
Chabad does it yet again!!!great work!!
Mazal Tov!! They should continue to have mazal, bracha and success.
mi keamchu yisroel!!!!!!!!!!! kudos to Rabbi and Mrs. Bruk may hkb”h give you health, wealth, and strength to continue doing such wonderful work…….
how they gonna get woman to drive so far for a religions bath?
Terrific!!! I’m glad I donated to their mikvah fund last year. Now, I’m off to Yellowstone!
“Prior to the bath’s opening, visitors to nearby Glacier National Park had to drive or fly to Calgary, Canada.”
These must have been some really ehrleche yiddim who would take time out from a week’s vacation to a national park to fly off to Calgary to to’yvel in Mikvah.
That amazing! But I have one question: if there’s a mikvah in Calgary why would anyone travel from Alberta or Saskatchewan to use this one?
Was this mikve built according to chabad rules or according to the universally accepted halachos? In other words, is this mikva for chabadniks only or is it for everyone?
a kosher mikvah… as opposed to… what? a non-kosher mikvah?
Seriously though… Isn’t there some controversy as to whether or not chabad mikvahs ARE kosher? I recall reading something to the effect that they have their own halachas that are substantively different and thus thier mikvahs aren’t considered kosher by other groups.
Please correct me if I am wrong
I have to hand it to Chabad, who else would send a rabbi to Montana or any of the other million crazy places that they go and build a community out of almost nothing.
Chabad has done two amazing things
1) They have convinced their best and brightest that going to somewhere like Montana to build a community is a goal to aspire too
2) They have found a way to show Jews of all stripes that Torah and tradition can be a meaningful part of their lives
I would not be shomer shabbat if it was not for a few Chabad houses (though not that one)
Very nice. Inspiring.
#12 & #13
As a chaver Hakollel that learns dinei Mikveh, in the afternoon.i am appaled by the am haratzes of your notes. the only thing that is diferent in a chabad mikveh as well as many chasidisheh mikvaos is that the bor is under the bath and what that ensures is that the mayim of the bor is never evaporated. Unfortunatly through our learning we have heard horor stories of mikvaos that werent looked after that frequent and they found that the hole connecting the two boros werent touching which rendered the mikvah posul. this mikvah was instituded by the Rashab with the haskama of reb chaim and many other litvishe and chasidishe rabonim.
whats the story with the mikvah in Idaho? how far is it from Bozeman MT?
Mazal Tov! Like many chabad mikvehs, although I can’t state for sure, it’s probably built to ALL standards, with two “borim” so that everyone can use it. The “rebbe” unlike many of his disciples, believed that everyone can believe as they choose… today, many chabadniks believe that it’s the rebbe’s way or the highway, which is not the way the rebbe would have wanted it. I just hope they can keep it clean. Like so many mikvehs, it will be difficult to maintain cleanliness if it’s not kept up constantly.
good luck.
The “Chabad Mikvah” uses a “Bor as gabai bor” concept. Meaning, the pool where your body goes is directly above the rain-water mikvah.
The “Standard Mikvah” design, puts them side-by-side.
All hold that the Side-by-side is 100% kosher.
95% of the rabbonim hold that the Chabad is also kosher.
Chabad holds that their design is Superior to the side-by-side.
Some hold that the Chabad is kosher, but perfer the Side-by-side.
Chabad holds that the side-by-side is kosher, but prefer the one-on-top-of-the-other style.
Nobody holds that the side-by-side is not kosher.
There are a few rabbonim who do not allow their followers to use the vertical design. Most do not come out and say “not kosher” … but tell their followers not to use it. A small few say side-by-side only.
There have been altercations regarding this in the past. They center on:
Chabad MUST built it their way, as to not do so goes against Chabad ways.
Others claim that since some in the community do not approve of it, they should build one that all can use.
But, if Chabad is building it, they, of course, will built it their way. And that makes sense.
The only time people have a legitimate objection, is when Chabad fund raises in the community and fails to disclose that they are going to build the mikvah “Chabad Style” … this has ticked some people off, since they feel, they could now never raise money for a second mikvah, as long as the Chabad one is there. Once people donate to build one, they will not do it again, especially since most do not care. A mikva is a mikva to them.
Chabad always brings “proof” that nobody objects to their style.
Yashar Koach ! Personally I prefer to dip in the Atlantic Ocean, but I am a man. Aren’t there any hot springs in Montana? And if you say the natural pools are cold, so was the Ari Mikvah in Tzvas !!!
reply to #15
It sounds like your rov has more against Chabad than just their Mikvahs.
The Chabad Mikvahs (bor al gabie bor) happen to be more mehudar than other mikvahs. Is Reb Chaim’s haskomo and hechsher not a good enough proof?
In fact, Rabbi Heineman (one of the gedoilei hador) went himself to visit and check the two Chabad mikvahs in Maryland and was very very impressed (feel free to ask him).
Chabad mikvaot are 100%kosher for all jews to use. They follow the opinion of the Rebbe Rashab when building their mikvaot. There are usually two holes in the floor which are far enough apart to insure that somebody who is toveling on one side of the mikvah will not be able to cover both holes at the same time subsequently making the mikvah pasul (since the original 40 saah is not connected with the water that is put into the upper pool. ) He felt that by having a colder pool underneath and a warmer pool on top it would insure that the orignal mikveh water would be preserved on the bottom and not become mixed with the tap water. While chabad chassidim will insist on only toveling in this kind of mikvah there is no compelling halachic reason for anyone else not to (unles perhaps they are sanzer chassidim and strictly follow the divrei chayim’s shittah for mikvaos
Regarding AmHaratzus:
After studying the laws of Mikvah and the Acharonim on this subject including the differences between Bor Min Hatzad or Bor al Gabay Bor, it has become very clear to me that the objections which have been raised against Bor al Gabay Bor are unquestionably illogical. I challenge any open minded person to resarch this on their own and come up withh your own clear conclusions. There are in fact many Halachic advantages to Bor Al Gabay Bor. Please investigate on your own with integrity I cannot believe you will come to any other conclusion.
Many Chabad shluchim DO go to the extra expense (tens of thousands of dollars) to build a mikva al hatzad in addition to bor al gabei bor – in order that the mikvah will be acceptable to those who prefer bor al hatzad…
(Parenthetically, I never heard of a litvish built mikvah who goes to the extra expense and builds a bor al gabei bor to satisfy potential Chabad users…… so a quite a bit of inconsistencies to all those complainers out there.)
But for some reason when Chabad builds a mikvah in middle of nowhere, with their OWN money, they are criticized if they don’t build an extra bor (for the tiny minority who, in most cases, don’t even live in such Jewishly remote locations who refuse to use a Chabad bor al gabei bor mikvah……. go figure.)
But, as I said, many Chabad shluchim DO go the extra mile and expense (tens of thousands of dollars) and build their mikvah to satisfy *both* shitas…. So kol Hakavod Chabad for your amazing selfless (and underappreciated) work out in those thousands of remote places!!!!
The same people that have a problem with this also have a problem with putting tefillin on yidden with a chabad kesher and alter rebbe’s ksav. Pure sina and/or shtusim. You should know many chabad mikvaos are davka built to satisfy both shitos and have both types – bor al gabei bor and bor min hatzad. For the extremely small minority of people (if indeed they exist) who would dakva not use a chabad mikvah for legitimate halachic reasons, then perhaps you shouldn’t move to montana!
It seems that this issues invokes a lot of passion on both sides.Millhouse is a Lubavitcher, so in this case I”ll have to discount his opinion.Nothing personal, but obviously he will stand up for hos own.Can an objective person familiar with Halacha stand up and give us a small synopsis?
Also, some posters have said that in many places Chabad incorporates both designs into it’s mikvaot so everyone will be happy.Can anyone actually point out such a places/es?
Thank you
While I will not get into the ma’alos of shitas mikvah al gabei mikvah–I will leave them to my husband, who is both a Rov and a Dayan (and a Lubavitcher shliach, too)!, I can tell you that in the 7-8 years that we built our new beautiful Mikvah in upstate, N.Y. (Poughkeepsie), in addition to the many local families that have started keeping taharas hamishpacha, kallahs before their wedding, etc., I have alos had many tourists and visitors in the area, many of whom traveled great distances to use our mikvah. These women are of all kinds–from modern orthodox to very chassidish, litvish– Jews of all kinds–to me a Jew is a Jew. I can only tell you of the deep appreciation and hakoras hatov I have gotten from yidden for being there so they or their wives can go tevillah b’zman, and the mesiras nefesh and late hours involved
as I’ve said before many of you only appreciate Chabad when you need us and when you are out in the boondocks, we are usually the only ones there for you
as far as the rov who told this guy that his wife should delay going to the mikvah rather than use a chabad mikvah, such sinah is beyond me and please remember what happened to Yehoshua who was monea yidden from being together,
b’h I do not have such rabbonim
let us turn this rov’s sinah into ahavas chinom, to truly love each other only because we are all yidden, and while it is ok to have different shitos, the put downs, jealousy and hatred are as foreign to yiddishkeit as chazir itself
In all these heated debates, not one person so far explained what can be halachicly problematic with the Chabad mikvah.
All we have seen so far is the assurance of *nameless* (and made up names) of “gedolim” who assur the chabad mikvah.
No sources in Poskim.
No explanations.
And as many Chabad posters assured us, those oppsed to Chabad *cannot* bring a source from Poskim, because there isn’t any!
Rabbi Leibel Groner (a decendent of the Baal HaTanya) said in LA, that the first of the Rebbeim who use a Mikva that was BOR al gabei BOR was the Rebbi RASHAB’s wife.
There are many world renown poskim who are very friendly to chabad who prefer that their balei batim use a mikva that has a bor min hatzad. Until 60 years ago 99% of mikvos where ONLY built with bor min hatsad and I’m sure all agree that kllal Yisroel had plenty of top Poskim in pre war europe.
A community in AUSTRALIA wanted to build a communual mikvah in partnership with Chabad using both Shitas but Rabbi Shia Hecht who At that time worked with Rabbi Yosel Gutnick would not allow it, so two total seperate mikvos had to be built at an additional cost of nearly $1,000,000. – So much for Achdus!
One of the problems apparently with a Bor al gabei bor is that it has (apparently) happened that either dirt or the person herself blocked the hole (unintentionally ) conecting the borros by standing on the hole!
Nobody Assurs a Chabad Mikva, but many Rabbonim prefer (throughout many generations) a Bor min HaTsad. But it seems unless the chabad rabbonim approve no Rav is allowed to have a different shita unless he lets himself be character assasinaited!
Millhouse,
You suffer t from circular logic.Sorry.First you claim “that there can be nothing wrong with the Chabad style design” and then you take the plunge and claim that since that is so anybody who does raise a concern about the Chabad design is a “hater”.Unfortunately, you have not proven the first part of the “circle”, namely that there is nothing wrong with the Chabad design.Do you think that objective people should just accept your very partisan opinion?After all you are a Lubavitcher and seek to prove that they are right,no?
Millhouse,I happen to attend a Chabad house with a friendly Chabad rabbi,I sure hope you don’t run any synagogue because with your contentious nature there will be fights all the time.
Peace
I agree that Milhouse is using unnecessary language to express his opinion.
But I am still waiting for a halachic analysis of the defects of bor al gabei bor.
Do all the Chabad critics realise that the Chazon Ish was very against the Bor on the side Mikvah (Hashoko)? (Yorah Deah: 123) And he much preferred Zeria (which bor al gabei bor is considered zeria)???
Do all the critics realise that Moshe Feinstein (Chelek 3 Yorah Deah Siman 65) holds that bor al gabei bor is *better* than bor min hatzad because going into the top bor is as if going into the as if going the actual mei geshomim (rainwater) itself?
Can any of the critics bring someone on the level (and generation) of the Chazon Ish or R’ Moshe Fainstein who say that Bor al gabei bor is posul?
There are many articles on the construction of Mikvahs and relevent terms: hashoko, zeria, bor al gabei bor etc. in mikvah.org
What people don’t understand is that ALL modern mikvos (side by side or bor al gabei bor) are relatively NEW innovations. Neither of these designs are over 150 years old. All were designed to make a functional hot mikvah whereas previously (before 150 or so years ago) the Mikvahs were cold streams or rivers.
In other words, The Rebbe Rashab tried to solve a relatively new problem: How to design a WARM mikvah with the least possible problems. Up till then (the previous couple of decades) there were 2 major designs to build a warm mikvah.
Two pools side by side using one of the following methods
1. Hashoko (lit. kissing) – the rainwater pool would “kiss” the tap water
2. Zeria (lit. sowing) i.e. mixing — The tap water would be added to 40 seah of rainwater.
Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages. (For details of the disadvantages look up articles in mikvah.org)
What the Rebbe Rashab did was design a mikvah with the advantage of “zeria” but without the previous design disadvantage.
Bor al gabei bor has none of the disadvantages of the 2 above mentioned designs. (Again refer to mikvah.org for details)
I’ll give you a freebie. You want to know when it’s OK to take this sort of attitude to Chabad practises? I’ll give you some examples.
1. Chabad, like all Ashkenazim, holds like the Ramo in bishul akum. If a yid lights the fire, a goy can cook on it all day. If you are machmir like the Beis Yosef, then you should not eat anything with a Chabad (or any other Ashkenazi) hechsher unless you have verified that there are no bishul akum problems.
2. Chabad (like most chassidim) is lenient with chodosh in chutz lo’oretz. If you are machmir on chodosh, then in the months before Pesach you should not eat baked goods with a Chabad hechsher unless you have verified that it’s yoshon.
3. Chabad holds in zemanim like the Ge’onim. If you hold like Rabbenu Tam, and you ask a Chabadnik to do something for you after Shabbos, make sure to specify that you don’t want him to do it until Shabbos is out according to your shita.
4. Chabad custom is to sell the chometzdike kelim to the goy before Pesach (NOT just the chometz that is absorbed in the kelim) , and NOT to tovel them when buying them back after Pesach. Depending on how you hold, you may have a problem eating from their kelim (any time except Pesach).
5. Chabad writes a tzadi like the Ari Zal, with the first yud written backwards. As I understand it, some poskim hold that this is posul and must be corrected. If you hold like that, you should try to buy tefilin and mezuzos from a sofer who writes tzadi with a forward-facing yud, and not put on Chabad-written tefilin or mezuzos unless it’s a choice between that and nothing.
Many more such examples could be brought. In all of these, there is a genuine halachic reason to differ with the Chabad practise, and therefore no Chabadnik will take offense if you are careful to follow a different psak din. On the contrary, they will help you to do things your way. But in the case of mikveh there ISN’T any halachic argument against bor al gabei bor; so when you insist on using a mikveh with a bor min hatzad you are acting only out of ignorance or hatred, and Chabadniks will naturally take offense at the implication that their wives and mothers are using a mikveh that isn’t the most mehudar possible.
Millhouse calm down!
Are you challenging the fact that the first to make a mikvah that has a bor al gabei bor was the Rebbe Rashab.
Think before you shoot of with words like “liar”. Chassidim don’t talk/write that way.