Date: Wednesday 13th Oct 2021
Venue: the Jewish Museum
Contact: Rachel Heilbron, Wellspring Project Director
Event Information:
Emma Barnett demands more period talk. The woman’s hour host’s, new book “It’s about bloodytime, period” asks why we’ve clammed up about menstruation.
Emma will share what she learned at her Jewish wedding classes where she was shocked to learnthe laws about periods - including visiting the Mikveh, a ritual bath, and not being able to serve her husband a steak.
She will be in conversation with Orthodox Rabbi-in-training, Miriam Lorie who teaches these classes and thinks the laws can be re-understood for the modern world.
We invite peopleof all genders to come and hear Emma recount some of the funniest, most shocking and saddest stories as she and Miriam share their perspectives, figuring out together how Judaism can do periods better.
Doors open 730, event 8 till 915pm. Drinks and refreshments available before and after, while people can view their ancient Mikveh. We will be featuring the Vagina Museum's exhibition Periods: A brief History.
Emma Barnett, is an award-winning journalist and broadcaster and is the proud chief presenter of Woman’s Hour. She is the youngest person in the programme’s long history to occupy the presenter’s chair. She also presents Newsnight on BBC Two and writes a column for the I Paper. The event celebrates her first book: Period. It's About Bloody Time, in a bid to finally end the bizarre taboosurrounding menstruation.
Miriam Loris is one of the first Orthodox Jewish British women to embark on an ordination programme. Following a degree in Theology and Religious Studies from Cambridge, she has worked in inter-faith dialogue, community leadership, and is a BBC Pause for Thought contributor. She is a Jewish pre-marriage teacher who is excited about the role that mikvah could have in spiritual and communal life.
Press ticekts are available, please contact info@wellspringprojectuk.org
Background:
Wellspring was initiated in 2018 (as the Mikveh Project UK), by Rabbi Miriam Berger after a profound personal experience at the Mayyim Hayyim Mikveh in Boston, Massachusetts. The project is building a centre for wellbeing in Barnet, North London with immersion pools for the traditional ritual of mikveh (fully body immersion), rooms for talking and complementary therapies and groups. It will be a welcoming, inclusive and non-judgmental space for people of all age, gender, faith or non-religious beliefs. The centre will promote the use of Jewish rituals such as immersion as part of our wellbeing, good mental health, recovery and for moments of celebration.