Last week at Limmud I went to a session about going to the Mikva that was led by a cool woman rabbi. She was all about "reclaiming" the Mikva so that it isn't just something we do because some dead white guy compelled us to. I was thrilled, but the truth is, when I asked her some only slightly off the beaten track questions--What to do if one's partner isn't Jewish? What if you're afraid of being seen naked by strangers?--she seemed like she wanted a place to hide.

I think going to the Mikva would be awesome, but as a single girl in a town with a very small Jewish community, I don't think I could get away with it without causing a lot of fuss. Which is sad, because it seems like a great way of sticking it to the Man, so to speak.

I think we need to move away from the whole "purity" themed language that surrounds the Mikva. It's not really about that. When you go to the Mikva, you have to be completely submerged in the water. That can be scary, but it can also be a pretty nifty reminder of how our lives (or my life, anyway. I don't want to speak for anyone else) are dependent on God, and Torah, which is often sylboized by water. You know that moment when you're falling in love with someone and you realize you have the choice to fall or run away? I think going to the Mikva is about embracing the fall.