On a recent Friday afternoon, Elie and his family were at a ma’ayan with their friends. Such outings are routine in the summer months all across Israel. I love it that a trip to a fresh-water spring is as popular today as it has been for centuries. OK, OK, it was probably a little more popular when there was no air conditioning, but today, too, an afternoon at a ma’ayan is quite literally good, clean fun.
Certain ma’ayanot are known to be the turf of specific populations, whether secular, national-religious, or ultra-Orthodox. Mixed swimming is an issue at ma’ayanot since many religious boys will not enter a ma’ayan if a female is in it. My son Elie was once at Ein Lifta, known to be an ultra-Orthodox ma’ayan (for men that is—ma’ayan-going would be too immodest for ultra-Orthodox women), and he saw dozens and dozens of ultra-Orthodox boys waiting around the ma’ayan while a single (intrepid) young woman swam around at her leisure. (Presumably, the boys did their very best not to look at her.) Elie told me that several of the boys were already mid-jump into the ma’ayan as the girl withdrew the last of her toes from the water.
Since most ma’ayanot are also kosher mikvaot, religious boys like to completely disrobe and totally immerse themselves in the water for spiritual purification. Needless to say, a sharp eye is kept open for any approaching females.
Every ma’ayan has a name, and regular ma’ayan-goers will always name their day’s ma’ayan for you. Usually, a ma’ayan will take the name of a hill in which it sits (such as Ein Harat, on the slope of Mt. Harat) or of a nearby village (such as Ein Kobi, named after a nearby ancient Jewish village mentioned in the Talmud). Sometimes a ma’ayan’s name reflects the struggle over this land, as in the case of Ein Al Balad (Arabic for “village spring”), which is also known as both Ein Ora (named after the nearby town of Ora which sits atop Mt. Ora), and as Ein Itamar (named after a young man killed in a terrorist incident there).
It’s no surprise that my son Elie, my most spiritual child, is also the biggest ma’ayan-goer in our family. Elie says, “People ask me, ‘Why do you like going to ma’ayanot so much? Is it for the ritual immersion or for the fun?’ And I answer them: ‘It’s both.’” Elie also points out that a ma’ayan offers hikers a pleasant destination—so that one is not “just” hiking but also going to a ma’ayan.
Ma’ayanot are totally unsupervised, and this surely is one reason why Israeli youth love them so much. However, despite the fact that many ma’ayanot are basically small swimming pools with extremely cold water (excellent for storing watermelon and drinks but also potentially shocking to bathers), accidents are very rare.
Besides eating, bathing and talking, activities at a ma’ayan can include guitar and halil (recorder) playing, as well as the smoking of nargilot (water pipes) containing tobacco. Often, though, a large number of the people one finds around a ma’ayan come without any accessories. There’s just something about a ma’ayan that proves irresistible to a lot of Israeli youth. Elie says, “It soothes the soul.”
Cultural Note: “Ma’ayan” as a given name was used exclusively for girls during the first few decades of Israel’s history. Toward the end of last century, Israeli parents have allowed themselves the freedom not to be beholden to this sort of tradition. In the case of “Ma’ayan,” parents who give their sons this name can even (should they wish) turn to Israeli grammar for support: “Ma’ayan” is officially classified as a “male” noun.
By Teddy Weinberger
