What Is a Mikvah? A Plain-English Explainer, and How It Works in Jerusalem

25 Sept 2026 · 4 min

A mikvah is a pool of natural water used for ritual immersion. Here is what it is for, how it works, and how Jerusalem's mikvaot fit into daily life.

Short answer: a mikvah is a pool of water, built to the rules of Jewish law, in which a person or an object is immersed to move from a state of ritual impurity to purity. Its water has to come, directly or by contact, from a natural source such as rain or a spring. Today mikvaot are used mostly by married women each month, by brides before their wedding, by converts, by many men before Shabbat and Yom Kippur, and for new dishes. Jerusalem has more mikvaot than any city in the world; our directory lists more than sixty women's mikvaot, and our practical guide covers hours, cost and appointments.

What makes a mikvah a mikvah

Natural water. The water must be gathered naturally, from rain, a spring or melted snow, and not drawn by hand or piped in the usual way. Modern mikvaot keep a reservoir of collected rainwater next to the immersion pool, connected so that the ordinary heated, filtered water in the pool is made valid by contact with it.
A minimum volume. Jewish law sets a minimum, traditionally 40 se'ah, enough for an adult to be covered completely.
Built into the ground. The pool is part of the building, not a movable tank.
Natural bodies of water. A sea, a spring and some lakes and rivers can serve as a mikvah under conditions. People immerse in the sea or a spring for a reason; ask a rabbi before relying on one.

The details are technical, and every community mikvah is built and supervised by rabbis who specialise in them. Visitors do not need to check anything; the mikvah's supervision is part of the service.

Who uses a mikvah, and when

Women

The main use today is by married women, who immerse after their period and the days that follow it, according to the laws of family purity (taharat hamishpacha). Immersion is at night, by appointment or walk-in depending on the mikvah, with an attendant (balanit) present to check that the immersion is complete. Brides (kallot) immerse before the wedding, often with family present. The practical guide explains what a visit involves in Jerusalem.

Conversion

Immersion is the final step of a conversion to Judaism, in front of a rabbinical court. It is arranged by the court, not booked by the convert.

Men

Many men immerse on Friday before Shabbat, on the eve of festivals and before Yom Kippur, and some every morning. Men's mikvaot are usually attached to shuls or community buildings, open early in the morning and on Friday, and charge a small fee or none.

Dishes (tevilat keilim)

Metal and glass utensils made or bought from a non-Jewish manufacturer or seller are immersed once before their first use, with a blessing; there are different views on other materials. Many neighbourhoods have a small keilim mikvah, often next to a shul or the community mikvah, open during the day. Remove stickers and labels first so nothing blocks the water.

Mikvaot in Jerusalem's history

Jerusalem is full of ancient mikvaot. Pilgrims to the Temple immersed before going up, and dozens of stepped pools from the Second Temple period have been excavated around the Temple Mount, in the City of David and in the Jewish Quarter. You can see them at the Davidson Center by the Southern Wall and in the Herodian Quarter; the Old City guide shows where.

Finding a mikvah in Jerusalem today

Women's mikvaot: our directory by neighbourhood, with address and phone, and where verified, hours, cost and appointment rules.
Practicalities: the practical guide — appointments, what to bring, cost, English-speaking attendants, kallah rooms and accessibility.
Men's and keilim mikvaot: ask at your local shul; almost every religious neighbourhood has both. We are building a verified list.

Common questions

What is a mikvah used for in Judaism?

Ritual immersion: by married women after their monthly cycle, brides before their wedding, converts, men before Shabbat and Yom Kippur by custom, and new metal and glass dishes before first use.