By COLlive reporter
For years, the many observant women in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights have been dealing with the fact that there is only one local Mikvah.
As close to 40 women visit the long-standing Mikvah on Albany Avenue on an average night, the community watched how in other cities and neighborhoods newer and more pleasant ones were being built.
The new initiative by members of the Bais Shmuel Shul, a second Mikvah on the corner of Troy and Lefferts Avenues, will surely be met with much excitement.
Dedicated to Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Schneerson OBM, wife of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the construction is said to be completed on her 109th birthday – 25th of Adar, 5770 (2010).
The planned Mikvah will include 2 ritual baths and 16 pleasant preparation rooms.
This past Shabbos, the Shul’s Rabbi Yossi Jacobson related: Moshe Pinson, founder and president of the Shul, needed $101,000 for purchasing the lot. He went to the Rebbe’s Ohel and in the entrance room of Ohel Chabad Lubavitch in Cambria Heights a JEM video was playing where the Rebbe talked about the 101st birthday of the Rebbetzin.
Pinson later returned to Crown Heights and met a wealthy friend on Kingston avenue. After hearing the plan, the man quickly promised a large donation to the cause.
“We saw the Rebbe’s bracha in every step,” Dudi Farkash, a Gabbai at the Shul, told COLlive. “I can confirm a piece of property was purchased.”
ive had very bad experience with the insensitivity of the staff at the union street mikvah. i dread going every month. i was thinking about going to a mikvah out of crown heights but that would be difficult as i dont have a car so thank you bais shmuel!
To all those who insist that the mikvah must be clean and nice – its fine if you want to build a new one, but the one on Union is very clean. It may not be new and state of the art, but that doesnt take away from the fact that they keep it clean and nice. No need to insult the old to bring in the new.
To number 32 and others And others GEVALT!!!!! YOU are nuts……. There is an inyun of chasidishkite that one goes to a mikva that the rebbe went to. However there is a halacha that a woman must go to a a mikava. Chas vechas vesaholom to do make it difficult for her. (the rebbe once asked why there are no mirrors in bais chana etc…) A woman’s mikvah MUST and again MUST be clean Stop feeding this inyun that the rebbe went there. If a mikvah is not clean (some) women will not go. period that’s it. So the rebbe… Read more »
Bais shmuel is doing what itr says in shlchan aruch first you build a mikva then a shul!
First you make sure the foundation ir real and strong then you work on the rest.
but why cant the bais shmuel men grow beards?!
Keep it up
This is something that the rebbe would be proud of. This is being done with the blessing of the current Mikvah Board. This is to increase the willingness of the women of our community to use a beautiful mikvah. The shame is that all over the world we offer world class mikvos. however in our own community we have nothing, albeit we are the boiler room of the world.
PLEASE GROW UP.
The problems I have with the Union Street mikvah are connected with some of the staff members as well as the decrepit state the mikvah is in. A new womens mikvah is so long overdue in crown heights. kol hakavod bais shmuel. I may not agree with alot of what your shul stands for but if even one more women is going to go to the mikvah because of your initiative – I’m sure the Rebbe is proud.
You are right that a mikvah is not a spa, however it does no harm to have a beautiful mikvah, on the contrary- it encourages women to keep the mitzvah. On a side note – there are so many women in CH – why dont we deserve another mikvah? Personally I am sick of sitting in union street waiting room with 5 or 6 other ladies who are too embarassed to look me in the eye. We shoul dnot have to wait an hour to go to the mikvah only to find it cold and dirty! It’s about time there… Read more »
for those of you that object the looks of the un ion st. mikvah, i would like to say that i live in crown heights all my life and have been using the mikvah for 30 yrs. i am happy to be going to the mikvah that the rebbe used! it is holy and special. if a women is looking for a beautiful, modern, mikvah she should go elsewhere! i do object if the mikvah is not clean, that is unacceptable, but it dosent mean that there is a problem with the actual mikvah. we are not a community looking… Read more »
and i hope the building is done in a way that people dont see whos coming and going
and i had a brainstorm those that want to use the union st mikvah could and should those that want to ry out a new mikvah
thats great! choices never hurt
i think YOU have to read the comment again. the lady is not concerned about the location on lefferts, but she is concerned about a mikvah on midwood. instead of being critical on someone else’s post, try to understand what they are saying, because she is not worried about union mikvah closing… or that’s the way i understood it…
Who ever wants to donate, plase send your donations to Beis Shmuel. We accept all donations and it will go towards the BS funds. We are the only shul that has shiurim and minyanim daily. we are ethe only Shul who has money and who are doing programs for the community. we may have 3 or so members of the 1000 members who dont dress so tznius thats part of our shul, we welcome everyone. So stop attacing the BS Shul. we have more love for the community then anyone else. if you have a problem go and do something… Read more »
I don’t live in Crown Heights, but needed the mikvah while I was there. I hadn’t been there for over twenty years and couldn’t get over how run down and out of date it felt. Out of town we have beautiful Mikvaos to help entice woman to do this special mitzvah!! the mikvah on Union Street is in bad need of renovation, and with the population growth in crown heights another mikvah is not a luxury, but more of a necessity.
Kol Hakavod
arent there three mikvoas on union street and didnt the rebbe use only one, and i think the REBBE would be disappointed in how Union Street looks these days
Midwood st. is a beautiful block with four jewish houses already, it is quiet, and clean,
not a baad idea
And it’s NOT on Midwood!
To #17
this is ANOTHER Mikvah. the one on Union Street will still operate. Relax, you don’t have to walk any further than you do now, but the ladies who live beyond Empire won’t have so far to go. Please read the article again…Union St is NOT closing. That’s how rumors start.
IF thats the case then its a real shame. THe Union ST. mikvah was the REBBE’s mikvah and if people dont appreciate its specialness then they are very shallow. Its a big zechus to use the actual mikvah that the Rebbe used to use. its not about how fancy the mikvah is.
Crown Heights desperately needs another mikvah. The union st. mikvah leaves a lot to be desired, and people I know avoid this mitzvah because of it. Good luck on this tremendous undertaking.
We should all be thankful that we have a shul that wants to help out this community stay frum. We have girls walking out with purses on shabbos and we are complaining about a woman’s mikveh..It is getting really sad that this is what upsets people.
The rebbe was talking about the 101 birthday of the Friediker Rebbe, that was on the JEM video and Rabbi JJ said that not the 101 birthday of the Rebitzen that only happen in olam haze if your from tzfas…
Which Rebbetzin are we talking about, the one that the Rebe was talking about? is Moshe Pinson such a big believer that the Rebbe was still fabrenging at the Rebbetzin’s 101st birthday? And that it is on video!!
i have a feeling the pple in the building who share the lot will not be too happy to have a building blocking its sunlight unless its gonna be only one floor up.
Don’t forget that we are expecting women to walk there when it is dark outside. I don’t want to be walking down to midwood when I have to go to the mikvah.
This whole story and interpretation of the story is a fabricated hoax. The Rebbe actually called Rabbi Yisroel Rosenfeld A”H on Erev Rosh Hashanah 5748 (the last day of 5748) after he came back from the Mikva across the street, through Rabbi Krinsky, to instruct him to make a Hanachas Even HaPina yet before Rosh Hashanah. The stated purpose was to build on that spot (which was at that time still an abandoned building, and later was torn down by the city due to structural weakness). The Rebbe tried to push along the construction of apartments on that spot. And… Read more »
This is a beautiful idea but what about the fact that the union street one is the Rebbe’s Mikvah? Are rabbonim involved in this decision? What would the Rebbe say?
are u nuts or out of your mind
That eductaed??
what ar eyou talking about???
we ar etalking about a mikvah which is halacha and from the torah?
way to go Bais shmuel! Moshe Pinson is really taking the community by storm. Kol Hakovod to him and all the shul members that are involved. This is such an important project!
th ekids of today are already “educated” so at least let them be educated properly.
why not down by maple or midwood street, it is MUCH quieter there (and cheaper) and private
this is not a place for this discusion, evrey kid that goes online does nopt have to be that educated…..
Perhaps someone can enlighten us all on the following.
The story is told that the lot across from the existing Mikva is empty in order that there not be people living directly across from the Mikva.
Does anyone know if there would be a problem in building a Mikva on that lot?
I once heard that it was The Rebbe that wanted that lot left empty. Can anyone enlighten us on that as well?
Kol Hakavod to the chevra that are behing the initiative.
I am very impressed with Bais Shmuel leadership! They really know how to build a nice community.
They are really the only shul in crown heights that actually made a community for themeselves.
now the mrs.’s of Bais Shmuel will improve their tznius and it will be approved of by thier dear husbands!
If anyone can pull it off its Bais Shmuel! With Moshe Pinson in charge IT CAN & IT WILL be done. Wishing you Brochat for a speady & Beautiful Mikvah!! The women of crown heights aplaud you!!!
They are planning to raise funds and build within one year? That is quite an ambitious undertaking. I am a bit skeptical…
Nice idea, but I’m not sure about the location….isnt it a bit public? with houses facing it on both sides? Just wondering….
This is really needed, the lines are way to long on a regular basis in the other mikvah.
Once again, Bais Shmuel proves itself as a strong vibrant new community within our community. Yasher Koach!