Inside the Bangor Mikvah. Photo courtesy of Naomi Freedberg.
About the narrators:
Naomi Freedberg is the steward of the community mikvah in Bangor, Maine—a role she took over from her mother, Barbara Podolsky, who had managed it since the late 1990s. In addition to caring for the mikvah and serving as its attendants, Barbara and Naomi have been heavily involved in the small, tight-knit Jewish community in Bangor.
This rich, multi-generational interview covers a wide range of topics: the historical evolution of the mikvah’s location (including the effects of urban renewal policies in Bangor), the gradual decline of Jewish infrastructure in Bangor (schools, kosher stores, etc.), the importance and challenge of keeping the mikvah open, and the resilience of Jewish identity in rural Maine. Both narrators also share their hopes for renewed Jewish communal life in Bangor, expressing a dream that new families might one day rediscover the value of small-town Jewish living.
In this excerpt from their interview with Jake Bergson on May 12, 2025 at the Bangor mikvah, Naomi shares her perspective on running a community mikvah.
Transcript:
“So for me, at my age and stage of life, I don’t need it personally anymore. I don’t have married children that need it. But it is really important to me from the standpoint of being an observant Jew and wanting others to have it available to them—I feel a sense of responsibility. And so even though I don’t personally have to come and use the facility, I’m very grateful that I’m in a position to be able to make it available to others. I maintain the same position that my mother did before me, which is—I’m an Orthodox Jew and I have my thoughts and beliefs about what the purpose of the mikvah is for, but I don’t feel it’s my place to ask somebody. If somebody wants to use it, it doesn’t invalidate the mikvah. And if it’s not for Orthodox purposes, or if it’s not somebody who is what I would consider technically Jewish, it’s not my place to ask. I’m more than happy to open the facility, make it available to them, and in turn they’re happy to be able to use it, but also to help support it, which keeps it going for anybody who’d like to use it. Even though it’s run by Orthodox community members, we do consider it a community mikvah and want it to be available to everyone. No one should be turned away.” – Noami Freedberg
Naomi Freedberg and Barbara Podolsky’s full oral history interview is available through Colby’s Special Collections & Archives.
About the interviewer:
Jake Bergson is a sophomore at Colby College from New York City. Growing up in an interfaith family, Jake experienced Jewish traditions such as the mikvah and bar mitzvah alongside Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter. As a biology major with a passion for storytelling and cultural memory, Jake brings empathy, curiosity, and technical skill to his interviews. He has prior experience in podcasting and interviewing through his YouTube channel, JakeUltimateFitness, and other projects.