Mikvah near the Western Wall
Mikvah near the Western WallIsrael news photo: Israel Antiquities Authority

A new online Mikvah Calendar, introduced last year in English, has now come out with a Hebrew edition.

The calendar is used to determine the proper time for a Jewish woman to observe the commandment of immersing herself in the ritual pool, or mikvah. Ancient mikvahs have been discovered in archaeological digs dating at least as far back as the Second Temple period, including one just 20 meters away from the Western Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem, near the Temple Mount.

According to Rivkah Bloom, one of the developers of the site, the Hebrew version has attracted thousands of hits in the two weeks since it was first introduced.

Many people find the concept of an online calendar fascinating,” Bloom told Israel National News. The site, developed by MIT graduates, includes automatically-calculated and explained mikvah times and dates for women who observe the Torah commandments connected with ritual purity.

Also featured is a list of the customs for various communities, including those connected with Chabad, Sephardic and Ashkenazi traditions. In addition, women can receive email and SMS reminders, and there are print-friendly formats available for personal records.