Mikveh Water Ritual for Palestinian Life
As the war rages on in Israel/Palestine, I’m thinking about my Indigenous abuela (Spanish for grandmother) Ana Rosa Gallego Romero and all the ancestors whose faces are my face that came before her. How they cried out for me through time in their moments of deep despair because their love for me and their descendants gave them hope, even as they were being killed because of genocide. They knew what it was like when capitalism and white supremacy want your land, but not you as a people.
I am also thinking about my emotionally damaged Jewish father who was a Holocaust survivor. And the genocide that is being committed now in his name against the Palestinian people today.
When Hamas attacked innocent Israelis on October 7th, I could feel the acute pain of the families who had lost loved ones and were experiencing the trauma of the Holocaust all over again. Once the Israeli Defense Forces started calling up hundreds of thousands of army reservists, I knew that the Netanyahu government would weaponize that pain and use it to justify grabbing more land in Gaza and attempting to genocide as many Palestinians as he could. I am sad to have been correct. All war is ultimately a land grab dressed in patriotic clothing.
I have never seen the Jewish community more divided and triggered as it is now. There is so much to say, but so little is getting through the thick emotional walls that people have put up. As I try to keep my heart open, keep witnessing the horror but also do my part to stop it, I have been writing poetry and ritual to process. It is not enough, but it is better than nothing. If you want to read the poetry, please support me on my Patreon. I offer a Mikveh ritual for Palestinian life here for anyone who needs it to stay sane during these terrible times, for spiritual support in the fight to stop the genocide of Palestinian people, and as an act of solidarity and love.
For those immersing indoors, remember that there is nothing any individual can do to make a mikveh unkosher. You are allowed to pray and connect with the water however you see fit. You have the right to use this ceremony, whether or not it aligns with the politics of the synagogue or organization where the mikveh is located. For those in the Boston area, I have given Mayyim Hayyim permission to use this ceremony, so you should be able to find it there soon. I am trained as a Mikveh Guide with them, so you can also request that I guide for you as you immerse if you would like, and my schedule permits.
This past Sunday, November 12, 2023 I was invited to be part of a Water Ritual for Palestine by the Queer Mikveh Project, which is what prompted me to write this ceremony. If you want to do more, please donate to the Queer Mikveh Project, and they will send half the money to a Palestinian mental health clinic that they have a relationship with in Palestine. Just make sure you tell them it’s for them and Gaza, and the donation will be split between the two organizations. I feel so blessed to be in relationship with a Jewish organization that has done the work to decolonize. My relationships with Rebecca Goldschmidt and Rebekah Erev are full of ease, joy, and so much love. It is such a relief not to have to educate people about how to treat me with respect as an Indigenous woman, and to be able to just build close friendships full of beauty and reciprocity. Thanks QMP!
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