Nobody looks at me and thinks: she's suffering from a mental illness. That's the thing about trichotillomania — it hides. It hides under eyeliner, under wigs, under thick headbands, under the perfectly ordinary face I show the world. And once a month, at the mikveh, it can't hide anymore.

I just started a PhD program in Jewish Studies. The first course is in research methods, and as we work to articulate what we want to study, this week we were taught about the "why." Academic interest is something — but being motivated beyond just the theoretical is something more.

Exploring how Jewish families upheld Taharat HaMishpacha and mikveh during the Holocaust, and how their quiet heroism helped rebuild Jewish life.

Pesach is a time of deep meaning, filled with ritual, family, and the retelling of our journey from Mitzrayim to Geula. But for many women, the rhythm of the holiday can intersect with another important rhythm, the mitzvah of tevillah. When mikveh night falls on or around the seder, it can raise both practical and emotional questions.

When the war broke out over Shabbat, I wasn’t sure how we would even be able to open the mikvaot. Although it wasn’t technically my problem to solve, it weighed heavily on my mind. Somehow, I knew we would find a way. It just meant opening during our shifts and working around the sirens ensuring each mikvah had a safe room.

What happens when mikveh night collides with drinking, seuda, and Purim revelry? Can you go to the mikveh after drinking? What if one spouse is intoxicated and not aware of boundaries when in niddah?