Machla Abramovitz
Sometimes, fairy tales do come true. Such was the case with the Shore Area Mikveh, which was in drastic need of repair and was revived and transformed into a magnificent palace imbued with serenity and kedusha, as befitting the unique mitzvah it embodies.
The women taking advantage of this newly renovated space, in turn, step into a wonderland of luxury and comfort and, during their short stay, feel themselves equally transformed into royalty.
From Dream to Reality
It was a project that, once begun, incurred the blessings of shamayim, hastening its speedy completion under extremely challenging conditions and with the skillful hands of a highly talented and dedicated team of professionals: a creative community fundraiser, a uniquely-gifted designer, highly experienced builders who all accomplished the impossible, all united in their goal of elevating this mitzvah onto a higher plane and completing the project on schedule.
It was also a credit to its Rabbinic council – Rabbi Shmuel Choueka, Rabbi Shlomo Diamond, Rabbi Moshe Malka, Rabbi Saul J. Kassin, and Rabbi Edmond Nahum, who provided spiritual guidance and, when given the option between a much nicer but more costly décor, looked the other way and approved the more expensive choice in keeping with the commandment of beautifying a mitzvah.
The Heart of the Community
However, it was largely due to the efforts of Eddie Mizrahi, who stepped up in every possible way to make this project financially viable. As president, Eddie took on the responsibility of fundraising and established a new mikveh committee with Maurice Zekaria as vice president and Edgar Cohen as treasurer.
“We have the most generous and special community on the face of the earth,” says Maurice Zekaria. “Without their financial support, we could not have gotten the project off the ground, whether it was the donor money or those that helped with short-term loans. What other community could do that?”
Today, when one enters the newly renovated stucco edifice, one encounters a waiting room wallpapered with large haiku flowers and branches, blush colored, as well as a cascade of plaster flowers. Arches connect additional spaces that bear additional memorials, including a breathtaking matriarch wall, the inspiration of Eddie Mizrahi, and dedicated by Jack A. Kassin.
The Matriarch Wall was built in memory of Mrs. Mazal Kassin, the wife of Chief Rabbi Jacob Kassin, zt”l, who built the community by setting its religious standards. Fifteen preparation rooms, including a magnificent bridal suite and four pools, branch out from the reception and waiting areas. All rooms are painted a soft cream and creamy white; they flow harmoniously into one another, their newness glistening, producing an aura of luxury and serenity. During the summer, when the town of Deal is overflowing with summer residents, this community mikveh accommodates over eighty women nightly, a number that has been steadily growing.
Mikveh manager Elyse Kairey still cannot believe her eyes. Having served the mikveh for 25 years, she never thought she would see the day when the community mikveh she loved and dedicated her life to so generously would physically reflect the splendor of the mitzvah it embodies.
Under the spiritual guidance and care of Rabbi Shmuel Choueka, this mikveh accommodates a broad spectrum of women from all walks of life. Elyse and her team of beautiful, hard-working, committed women work diligently to make every attendee feel as comfortable as possible. As the community’s mother mikveh, it accommodates special times, many out-of-towners and kallah teachers from different states who, she says, “are looking for a serene, easy-going place for their brides, a place that will provide them with the TLC they need and a time to pray.”
The Need for Renewal
Only three years ago, the mikveh’s future didn’t seem as promising. Humidity and inadequate air circulation had left their marks since its previous renovation 16 years ago: tiles fell off the walls, telephones stopped working, and water compressors that control the water filtration system broke down often, at considerable expense to the mikveh. It was hard to keep up with the mikveh’s rapid deterioration.
Elyse recalls the day when yet another compressor broke, and Rabbi Choueka gave the go-ahead to move forward with a significant renovation.
Divine Inspiration
It was in 2022, during a conversation with Debra Shiloach, that Elyse mentioned the need for a renovation and Debra, as a talented interior designer, volunteered to undertake the project. Debra was no novice when it came to designing mikvaot. She has worked on a small mikveh in Ocean City, Maryland, dedicated in memory of her mother-in-law, Molly Shiloach. She has also worked under the guidance of interior designer, Abie Jerome, who designed the renowned Carroll Street Mikvah in Crown Heights, which was a major inspiration for her. “That mikveh took what a mikveh could be to another level; it enabled women to have a different kind of experience,” Debra recalls.
Inspired and anxious to start, she began researching her sources. She hit upon a haiku-patterned wallpaper that deeply moved her and proved to be the inspiration for the entire décor.
Rising to the Challenge
Unfortunately, it would not be until two years later, when Maurice Zekaria offered to take over the reins of the project, that matters came to a head. Maurice, who has left his mark on many significant buildings and structures in Deal was also eager to get started. For him, it was yet another opportunity to give back to the community.
This project, though, proved incredibly challenging in many ways. “It was clear that we would have to gut the entire interior, which meant that the mikveh would be closed to the public for nearly six months – from January 2024 till the end of June 2024 – when the mikveh was desperately needed to accommodate the influx of summer residents in Deal. “We had no choice,” explained Maurice Zekaria.
The possibility of keeping some parts open while closing off others was impossible – doing so, they said, would not resolve the air circulation problems that were primarily responsible for the rapid corrosion of the mikveh.
Another challenge was that, unlike new construction, there were no building plans to follow. “We had no time to make plans. The builders, therefore, determined the plans on the job while the subcontractors were working. This job was my toughest project yet. Fortunately, we had an amazing team all around.”
“The biggest challenge, though, was that we had to do this quickly, yet we didn’t have a dollar in the bank to meet the budget. We had to fundraise and borrow money from a handful of us. We also had to do whatever we could to pay the contractors and subcontractors swiftly before even having a fundraising event. So, we often met on-site with donors. No doubt, Hashem was watching over us,” he says.
Despite these formidable challenges, they rolled up their sleeves and got started.
Maurice brought in contractor, Richie Benedict, whose company Ray Builders, located in Lakewood, was responsible for building many prestigious buildings in the area. “Timing restraints didn’t allow us to do this job normally, so we often had dozens of contractors working in very tight corners simultaneously,” said Maurice.
“All of the tradesmen were religious Jewish businessmen,” Debra recalls, who worked closely with Maurice and Ray Builders. “Every person was yirat shamayim. They forged onward, united in their goal of opening this building for the women coming for the summer. It was beautiful to see everyone working so cohesively.”
Community Support
Eddie Mizrahi, renowned for his community work and creativity, ran full steam ahead to raise the funds. He started off working with graphic designer Stacey Gindi to produce a professional, gorgeous brochure citing the mikveh’s history and including rabbinical endorsements.
Park Avenue Synagogue’s Rabbi Shmuel Choueka reminded the community, “how important a mikveh is to a community, surpassing many, if not most, other institutions. I urge all those who can participate in this magnificent mitzvah opportunity to do so, and may you all be blessed with success from your own families.”
Rabbi Joey Haber emphasized, “There are a few things that every Jewish community needs to survive. With them, you have a community; without them, you have no continuity. One of those things is a mikveh. The mikveh, like a shul, and a yeshivah, allows our traditions to endure. We live in a time where our homes are prettier, our cars are nicer, and our vacations are more beautiful. How can our mikvaot not meet that same standard?”
Rabbi Shlomo Diamond also encouraged donors to give generously. “All who help in this holy project are doing a tremendous mitzvah and will not only help support the renovation of the mikveh but bring untold beracha to themselves and their family and realize the blessings of the Torah,” he explained.
Eddie Mizrahi undertook organizing a gorgeous gala event to benefit the mikveh. He dedicated endless hours and worked diligently to ensure the success of the event. Working closely with party planner Norma Cohen, Stacey Gindi, Debra Shiloach, Ellen Sutton, and other volunteers, Eddie held a memorable event at Ely and Rena Cohen’s home last Memorial Day weekend. Community rabbis spoke about the significance of completing this project. They also honored the mikveh’s founders Ike Hidary, Sonny Laniado, and Manny Haber, while Rabbi Diamond presented them each with an award.
Eddie, along with Joe Mansour, produced a beautiful, inspiring video for the event.
“With Hashem’s help, we raised the necessary funds,” Eddie says.
Meanwhile, Elyse and her group of mikveh ladies held down the fort. They accommodated their regular women and others by teaming up with a small local mikveh. “We spread the word that we would be closed for a few months; we took phone calls and sent the women to small local mikvaot. We juggled. We coordinated. We didn’t put down the phone for six months.”
The Miracle of Completion
Elyse believes that the reopening of the mikveh at the end of June was nothing short of a miracle. “The dedication of Eddie Mizrahi, Maurice Zekaria, Debra Shiloach, Richie, Baruch, and Eli Benedict, went way beyond,” she says.
It’s an endeavor, she believes, that is greatly appreciated by the community at large, especially the women using the mikveh, who express their appreciation on comment cards, thanking them with words written from the heart.
Looking Forward
Eddie Mizrahi, though, is not yet finished! He is determined to raise another million, half of which will go towards finishing off the building and the other half towards the budget. But it’s not the money that motivates him. He’s put his heart and soul into this holy endeavor. His next project is to produce an all-women’s video (women speaking to women) to promote women going to the mikveh.
“This mikveh is like a spa. It’s beautiful. Since its opening, women who had never connected to their religion started coming. I believe we created a nice buzz. We made going to the mikveh cool,” he says.
The next event will be a Breakfast & Celebration in honor of community matriarch, Cookie Chera. It will be held in May at the beautiful home of Lisa and Lee Cohen, who, along with the Setton family, have generously sponsored the name of the campus. There are many sponsorships opportunities available ranging from the Bridal Mikveh Pool to the dressing rooms and mezuzot. For more information, please contact Eddie Mizrahi at (347) 260-0745. “We built nothing short of a palace and wish to publicize this accomplishment to all women.”