“Eugene, Oregon seems an unlikely place for a mikvah (Jewish ritual bath). Acity known for its hippie vibe, embrace of the offbeat, and left-wing politics is not where one would expect to find an institution most associated with Orthodox Judaism and, in particular, with the laws of ritual purity pertaining to marital relations. Immersion in the mikvah denotes purification; it marks conversion to Judaism and a woman’s monthly transition back from impurity (niddah) to a pure state in which marital relations are permitted. In traditional practice, men also may visit the mikvah as a purification ritual prior to the Sabbath.” - Ellen Eisenberg