Moments of Emotion and Transformation- An Attendant's Perspective

As a Mikvah attendant, I have witnessed many moments of deep emotion and transformation. But one evening stands out with particular tenderness — when I had the honor of guiding a woman, a friend, through her Mikvah immersion following a hysterectomy due to breast cancer.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

This was not a traditional visit. It was a moment heavy with grief, strength, and sacred vulnerability. She had walked through illness and loss — of health, of fertility, of a part of her identity — yet she came seeking renewal, comfort, and connection. As a rebbetzin and therapist I have context and training to help people through these kinds of moments. Which is why I felt that this was an opportunity to make this experience as meaningful and sensitive as possible, to honor both her pain and her courage. 

I turned to The Eden Center, a remarkable resource for issues connected to mikvah and women's well-being, that understands the power of ritual in marking women’s life cycle events. Their guided framework for a final mikvah immersion after hysterectomy offered language, structure, and spiritual framing for this moment (and others like menopause or infant-loss)— when immersion is not just about purity laws, but also about healing and holiness.

Using their guide, the immersion became something beyond ritual — it became a sacred encounter. In that quiet space, with soft light and gentle water, I could feel the Shechina, the Divine Presence, in the room. Together we created a context for grief, yet also for hope — a frame that allowed her to mourn what was lost while opening her heart to the possibility of a renewed future.

That night reminded me why ritual matters. It gives form to our unspoken emotions and connects us to something greater than ourselves. In holding space for her, I too was transformed — reminded that healing is not only physical, but also spiritual, communal, and profoundly human.

Meira Albert, wears many hats, mother of 4, child and family therapist, and Rebbetzin at Beth Jacob Congregation of Oakland, CA.