The size of the Jewish community in Astrakhan, Russia comes close to those in well-known American suburbs: 1,000 members and counting. Year 1990 saw the resurgence of the local Jewish kehilla, and increasingly more families and individuals are joining as they awaken to their rich heritage.

And yet, there is no kosher mikva anywhere in the area. The nearest one is in Volgograd, removed by a tiresome and treacherous journey of over 8 hours. That’s over 16 hours total for women striving to uphold the laws of family purity! Is that the best we can do?

Can we sit idly by and allow our fellow Jewesses to dive into the river in the darkness of the night—in the 21st century? Can we fathom how many couples are yearning to use a kosher mikva but cannot undertake the long trip? It is our duty to bring about positive change and support the new mikva project on behalf of the Astrakhan community.

10+ families have already signed a petition promising to uphold the laws of family purity and to use this new mikva religiously in accordance with halacha.