Religious uses of water to be explored

The use of water in religious ceremonies will be examined by Catholic priest and a Jewish laywoman at "Holy Waters: Mikvah and Baptism."

Their talks, April 22, 7 p.m. at St. Clare's parish in Colonie, are being sponsored by the Jewish-Catholic Dialogue Committee of the Capital District.

The speakers will be Rev. James Kane, director of the Albany diocesan Commission for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and Bonnie Cramer, a member of Congregation Agudat Achim in Schenectady.

Baptism

Father Kane, who is also pastor of St. Helen's parish in Niskayuna, said, "Baptism was not invented by Jesus and the early Church. We know from the New Testament that John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of the Jewish Messiah, Jesus, by a ritual 'bath' of repentance and purification in the River Jordan."

In Judaism, the ritual bath is called the Mikvah, said Ms. Cramer, a teacher at the Hebrew High School in Schenectady and campus coordinator for Union College's Hillel student program.

She noted that "the Mikvah is known as a pool of living, cleansing water, bigger than a bathtub but smaller than a pool. It gets its name of 'living water' by making use of collected natural waters, such as rain water. In Hebrew, the water is called 'mayim chayim' -- literally, living waters."

In ancient times, the Mikvah was used by Orthodox Jewish men, so she suspects that "John the Baptist and Jesus would have made use of it."

Cleansing

Ms. Cramer described the Mikvah as helping someone go through such experiences as recovery from illness, or from emotional or physical trauma. She noted that the waters of the Mikvah are a cleansing, purifying medium.

Father Kane said that "there is little doubt that the ritual purification 'bath' is the common origin of both the Baptism of repentance by John, to which Jesus Himself submitted, and the ritual of Baptism by which sins are washed away."

Many scriptural scholars, he noted, feel that John the Baptist was a member of the ascetic group of Jews called the Essenes.

"Archeological digs on their sites have shown the presence of Mikvahs," the priest explained; "it is no great leap in sacred symbolism to go from the Mikvah of cleansing from impurity of any sort to the baptismal font of cleansing from sin."

Differences

Father Kane's talk will include an explanation of the differences between the Jewish ritual of Mikvah and the Christian rite of Baptism.

Ms. Cramer will offer "a bit of the history" of the Mikvah with regard to the temple rituals in Jerusalem, and discuss how the ritual can be reclaimed by modern women for healing.

(For information, call St. Clare's at 456-3112 or Father Kane at 453-6660.)

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