Israel – Ministers, Knesset members and Israel’s chief rabbis were already invited to the inauguration of the first military mikveh (ritual bath), but a day before the planned ceremony, the Israel Defense Forces decided to call off the festive event at its southern Ovda base.
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As reported this week by Yedioth Ahronoth, the ritual bath was built at the request of women living on-base, who complained of having to travel 60 kilometers (37 miles) to Eilat in order to immerse in a ritual bath.
Businessman David Hager, who lives in the United States, met the challenge and donated $100,000 for the construction of the first military mikveh.
Surprisingly, a day after the Yedioth Ahronoth report, guests were informed that the ceremony had been canceled.
A military official explained that the VIPs’ arrival at the base had not been properly coordinated. Sources involved in the issue said in response, “That’s a lame excuse. The ceremony was planned weeks in advance and everyone knew about it. The army just doesn’t feel comfortable inaugurating the mikveh at this time.”
With all the priorities and challenges facing the IDF right now, having to worry about mikvahs is probably the last thing they want to deal with.
windows next to the mikvah? And such big ones? Never saw this in my life
Mikva in the military??
Which frum lady serves in the army to begin with??
In your world frum people never offer anyhting to society
Realistic, believe it or not it’s not only frum women who use the Mikva. This is true in the United States and I can only imagine how much more so in Eretz Hakodesh.
Kudos to Mr. Hager for this important mitzvah. May Hashem bless you!
I must agree… not only Frum woman use Mikvah and windows at the mikvah?? they may just be to let light in. They probably are not clear glass. That would be too odd. But there are many types of windows that are not see through that they could be.