“Offering a rare glimpse into a mysterious world, Polak-Sahm delves beneath the surface of the Jewish ritual bathhouse, known as the mikveh . . . The author quotes profusely from religious and secular women who extol this soulful experience—and its ability to transcend and transform the marital bedroom. Yet she also doesn’t shy away from provocative questions, showcasing the sometimes sexist nature of the practice.”
—Publisher’s Weekly


“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.”

—Jerusalem Post

PLEASE SEE ATTACHED REVIEWS AND PRAISE SHEET
THE HOUSE OF SECRETS
The Hidden World of the Mikveh
By
Varda Polak-Sahm

Publication Date: August 20th, 2009

On the eve of her wedding and stricken with fear that her hidden pregnancy would reveal itself, Varda Polak-Sahm clung to her robe, as her mother, aunts, cousins and future in-laws stood behind her, impatiently waiting for her to strip and immerse her cleansed and naked body into the holy waters of the mikveh. As a child, Polak-Sahm was told the waters of this traditional Jewish purity bath would speak her sin aloud. The young bride was terrified the waters would make a “ploop, ploop, ploop” sound, announcing that she was not a virgin, that she was in fact three months pregnant. 

In The House of Secrets, Varda Polak-Sahm offers readers the first uncensored glimpse into the private world of the mikveh. 

Part memoir and part contemporary cultural analysis, the book examines the rabbinic purity laws written in the Talmud and the various rites and rituals passed down from generations of women, from all branches of Judaism. From the importance of purity, 


fertility, and sisterhood to the sexual relationship between husband and wife and the 
spiritual relationship between wife and God, The House of Secrets dissects the historical and cultural significance of the mikveh and questions its value in today’s modern world. Polak-Sahm touches upon the many issues, both problematic and empowering, facing mikveh users in the twenty-first century.

Compiling ten years of research in Israel, in-depth interviews with the balaniyot (the women who preside over the immersions), drawing upon her own varied experiences within the mikveh and weaving together intimate stories from both orthodox and secular Jewish women, Polak-Sahm explores one of the most secret, sacred and sensual moments in a Jewish woman’s life. 

From a Madonna impersonating Gentile denied entry into the mikveh to a barren woman who immersed into the waters childless but months later became pregnant, The House of Secrets reveals countless personal stories and shines a light on the deeply private and methodical purity rituals Jewish women must adhere to before sharing an intimate night with their husbands.

Polak-Sahm gives voice to many Jewish women, from the young and old, Moroccans and Yemenites, to Sephardics and Ashkenazis. While some view the mikveh as a form of religious coercion, others speak of the euphoric state brought on by the immersion. Polak-Sahm introduces readers to a young woman named Shuli, who views the mikveh as more of a personal experience rather than a religious code—“I could care less about the so-called physical impurity. What I love is the feeling of joy that comes with the purification . . .” Readers also hear from ultra-orthodox women who fear God’s wrath should they disobey Jewish purity laws. In the words of the balaniyot, “Living in sin without immersion in the mikveh would bring upon us the punishment of karet; our children would be born with defects, would not be privileged to build a Jewish family, and would die an unnatural death, their soles permanently excommunicated from the Jewish people.”

Ultimately, Varda Polak-Sahm realizes that for her and many Jewish women reclaiming this practice, the mikveh is less about a woman physically cleansing herself for her husband and more about a singular spiritual journey. She writes, “The moment of immersion is a woman’s private moment of communion with herself, with her body, and with the spark of the divine that resides within her.” 

About the Author

Varda Polak-Sahm is a seventh-generation Jerusalemite, the author of three books, and an internationally known photographer and researcher of folklore.