Groundbreaking for the Miami Valley Mikvah at Sugar Camp in Oakwood, Feb. 1, 2009.

Miami Valley Mikvah to open in Oakwood

By Marshall Weiss, The Dayton Jewish Observer

Only a month after the Dayton Ritualarium Society’s new mikvah facility on the campus of Beth Jacob Synagogue in Harrison Township became operational, a two-year-old non-profit religious organization — the Miami Valley Mikvah Association — held a groundbreaking for another mikvah facility, adjacent to Beth Abraham Synagogue at Sugar Camp in Oakwood.

The Feb. 1 groundbreaking jump-started the process to build a mikvah facility at Sugar Camp that stalled two years ago, just as it was getting underway.

According to members of the Miami Valley Mikvah Association Committee, the impetus to build now is the result of the drop in construction costs.

Rendering of the Miami Valley Mikvah at Sugar Camp in Oakwood

“The timing was right,” said Miami Valley Mikvah Association Chair Amy Bloom. “The economy is at a standstill, so it’s a good time to do it because we’re able to get some breaks on prices.

“Temple Israel’s Rabbi David Sofian has been vocal about the need for a centrally-located mikvah facility. He, along with Rabbi Nochum Mangel of Chabad, helped organize the Miami Valley Mikvah Association.

“This has to do with the reality of building today versus what was true a year, a year and a half ago,” he said. “Also, when a couple of people stepped forward to come up with more than half of the initial money needed, then for sure you can’t ignore it.”

In accordance with halacha (Jewish law), a mikvah is a ritual bath where observant married women cleanse themselves each month. Mikvahs are also used for conversions to Judaism. Though not required by Jewish law, some men immerse themselves in the mikvah as a spiritual exercise.

The 1,000 square-foot facility at Sugar Camp will include separate pools for men and women. The men’s side will also be available for taveling, immersion of new kitchenware. Paul Schear of Heatwave Pools will oversee construction; Premier Home Design will build the facility. The chair of the building committee is Dr. Martin Schear.

According to the mikvah’s finance committee chair, Lee Schear, the estimate to build the facility two years ago was $500,000; now it is $375,000. Donors, who wish to remain anonymous at this point, have stepped forward to finance $200,000 of the project.

“The committee is actively cultivating other supporters to cover the remaining $175,000,” Schear said. “Funds to maintain the facility will come from memberships and usage fees.”

In December 2006, Oakwood Investment Group, owners of Sugar Camp, presented their site plan for the property’s redevelopment, including a building to serve as Beth Abraham Synagogue, and a new 1,000 square-foot building for a mikvah.

OIG partners are Beth Abraham members Sandy Mendelson, Allan Rinzler and Lee Schear.

After the Oakwood City Commission approved the site plan in April 2007, OIG deeded land at Sugar Camp to The Miami Valley Mikvah Association.

While this process was going on, the 51-year-old Dayton Ritualarium Society — which had announced in 2005 that it would relocate its mikvah from Dayton View to a new 2,300 square foot building on the Beth Jacob campus — held its groundbreaking in January 2007.

In response to pressure from Jewish community leaders who questioned the need for two expansive mikvah facilities, Schear said in May 2007 that plans for the Oakwood mikvah would be scaled down to an initial 500-600 feet, from two pools to one. This was the last announcement of plans for a mikvah at Sugar Camp until now.

“The Miami Valley Mikvah decided it was in the best interest of the Jewish community to hold off building their new building until the mikvah north of town, behind Beth Jacob, was explored, designed, built, funded and opened,” Bloom said.

“I do question the timing,” said Dayton Ritualarium Society President Chana Fox, “because we’re just starting to use this one and only getting positive feedback that it’s one of the nicest ones in the country.”

Even so, Fox adds, “My prayer would be that the community is educated about the beauty of the mikvah and that both mikvahs can coexist harmoniously and that they’ll both be very busy.”

Key to moving forward with the Sugar Camp mikvah was the support of Tom and Eva Rosenberg. Their son, David Rosenberg of Cincinnati, was the lead donor to the Ritualarium Society’s mikvah, named in honor of the Rosenberg family.

Tom and Eva Rosenberg now sit on the Miami Valley Mikvah Association Committee as well.

“We want to support this mikvah because there are a lot of Jewish people south of town also,” Eva Rosenberg said. “I would really like this mikvah also to proceed and people to use it as much as the north mikvah.”

The Miami Valley Mikvah Association Committee comprises members of all four local synagogues and participants at Chabad in Oakwood.

Sofian said he has asked the rabbis of Dayton’s area synagogues to join the Miami Valley Mikvah Association Committee.

Along with Sofian, rabbis who are members of the committee to date are Temple Israel Assistant Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, and Chabad Rabbis Nochum Mangel and Shmuel Klatzkin.

Lee Schear estimated construction will be complete by July.

“It’s going to expose a whole new group of people to the mikvah,” said Bloom. “Having it at this location really enables it to be accessible to everyone throughout Dayton, not just a certain section of Dayton.”