The House of Secrets
  • Published: 1 September 2018
  • ISBN: 9780807077467
  • Imprint: Beacon Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $45.00

The House of Secrets

The Hidden World of the Mikveh

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For Orthodox Jews, immersion in a ritual bath—the mikveh—is the cornerstone of family life and is central to Jewish women’s practice of their faith. Yet women from across the Jewish spectrum frequent the mikveh, often for surprising personal reasons. Roused by her own immersion experience, for years Varda Polak-Sahm, a secular Jew, patiently observed and interviewed women at the mikveh, gaining unprecedented access to this hidden world. The House of Secrets offers a richly nuanced, uncensored look at an experience that is for some holy and for others coercive, ultimately illuminating the remarkable power of ritual immersion. 
  • Published: 1 September 2018
  • ISBN: 9780807077467
  • Imprint: Beacon Press
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 272
  • RRP: $45.00
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Praise for The House of Secrets

  • "A fascinating book . . . [Polak-Sahm] views the mikveh as a house full of secrets--the secrets of women, the secrets of life, the secrets of love and purity." --Peggy Cidor, Jerusalem Post
  • "Informative and fascinating . . . [Polak-Sahm] detail[s] a world many of us have no clue exists." --Olupero R. Aiyenimelo, Feminist Review
  • "[The House of Secrets] truly lifts the curtain on this world, often unknown to all but its participants . . . [A] captivating book." --Carol Poll, Jewish Book World
  • "A compelling examination of the nature and meaning of this ritual which has remained clouded with mystery and secrecy for centuries." --Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality & Practice
  • "Whether or not you agree with the concept of a purity bath, you can find inspiration in the stories these women share about their experiences, in life and at the mikveh." --Antonia Blair, Bust