On Sunday, March 3, nearly 100 people gathered in celebration and support of the newly inaugurated Mei Perel Glikel - The Salem Mikvah in Oregon's capital city of Salem.
The sparkling new mikvah is a milestone for the city's 1,500 or so Jews, said Fruma Perlstein, co-director with her husband, Rabbi Avrohom Perlstein, of the Chabad-Lubavitch of Salem Center for Jewish Life.
Despite snow-laden streets, the inauguration attracted residents from Salem, neighboring areas and guests from around the country, many of whom helped support the construction of the new, state-of-the art mikvah.
In designing the mikvah, Fruma Perlstein added mauves and pinks and special lighting with the goal of making the mikvah, which will be used primarily by women, more feminine. "Our goal was to have the mikvah match a rustic cabin-in-the-woods feeling, while also feeling luxurious,"she said.