Britain’s Chief Rabbi to Open Cambridge Mikvah

After almost 30 years of planning and discussions Chabad of Cambridge are pleased to announce that from mid-September the city will have its own community Mikvah. The Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks will officially open the Mikvah at a ceremony taking place on Sunday 11th September 2011.

The community has been discussing plans to install a Mikvah for many years; until now each effort was met with resistance or experienced practical problems which halted its progress.

In 2006 Chabad of Cambridge purchased the Rohr Chabad House on Castle Street and from that point onwards Rabbi Reuven Leigh renewed the campaign to install a community Mikvah on the grounds of the new Chabad House.

Since then the community has pulled together and united behind this project; building work began shortly after Pesach 2011 and will be completed in time for the inaugural ceremony. The committee responsible for the project felt strongly that it was important to use local contractors for the work. By working with local architects and construction teams it provided an opportunity for Jews and non-Jews to come together helping break down barriers in the community.

The project has been made possible thanks to funding secured in advance from a number of community donors. The Mikvah is to be dedicated in memory of Mr Harry Landy by his wife Mrs Gertrude Landy.Some of the funds donated are in memory of Rabbi Leigh’s sister-in-law Mrs Rochie Paley.

After being involved in discussions for many years and overseeing the project from start to finish, Rabbi Leigh is particularly looking forward to the opening. With regards his hopes for the Mikvah he said, ‘Aside from serving the needs of religious women who until now have had to travel to London for the nearest Mikvah, I hope that it will also encourage more Jewish women that have never performed this ritual before to come and use it’.

Following the ceremony there will be a reception which will be attended by local representatives and dignitaries including the member of parliament for Cambridge Mr Julian Huppert. The reception will be held at the Cambridge Synagogue and will be emceed by Mrs Rochel Leigh. For more information about the Mikvah and about Cambridge Chabad please visit: http://www.cuchabad.org