The Queer Mikveh Project immerses marginalized Jews in a changing ritual
Last Passover, a group of 125 Jews gathered via Zoom for a community mikvah ritual. Dr. Harriette Wimms, a queer Black Jewish psychologist and kohenet (Hebrew priestess), opened the ceremony by pouring libations, an African tradition of granting a water offering for ancestors. Some people immersed themselves in their bathtubs, spilled water down their bodies or waded into their local lakes. They sang prayers and shared artwork.
Zuriel Biran, a transgender Black poet from Chicago, read one of his poems: “I reorient myself to a future of interconnectedness. Where my life is so woven alongside others that I cannot seriously entertain the notion of cutting it short, or vanishing. I must allow myself to be known.”
The ceremony was organized by the Queer Mikveh Project, a grassroots initiative seeking to transform the traditional mikvah practice into a communal experience, centering queer Jews of color leading spiritual rituals. (“Mikvah” can be alternatively spelled with an “a” and an “e.”)
Inspired by similar efforts such as MKV, an art project that tailors mikvah experiences for queer Jews run by the Canadian artist Radiodress (Reena Katz), the Queer Mikveh Project’s goal is to create a safe space for marginalized Jews to connect to their bodies and each other. Its other major aim is to create leadership roles for queer Jews of color who are often denied such roles in mainstream Jewish organizations.
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