Preparing

The general shape of it. The details vary, and it is normal — expected, even — to ask.

Before you come

Preparation is thorough but not complicated. The principle is that nothing should come between you and the water: no makeup, no nail polish, no jewellery, nothing stuck to the skin. You bathe or shower carefully, comb out your hair, and check yourself over.

You can do all of this at home and arrive ready, or do it at the mikvah, where there is a private room with a bath, a shower, towels and the usual things. Many people prefer to do most of it at home and finish there, unhurried.

Timing

Immersion takes place after nightfall, and the date is worked out by counting. If you are not sure how the counting works, or the dates have got confused, that is one of the most common things anyone asks about and it is quickly sorted out in a conversation.

Things people ask, and would rather not ask out loud

Stitches, a wound, a filling, contact lenses, a wig, a cast, a recent tattoo, dyed hair, a nursing baby at home, a medical procedure — every one of these has a practical answer, and none of them is unusual. Please just ask rather than guessing or staying away.

Ask

Mussi Weinfeld — 408-910-2034, or write to Info@chabadalmaden.com marked for her attention.

This page describes the general practice. For anything specific to you, please ask — the answer usually depends on details a web page cannot know.