A Sacred Revival: North Dakota’s First Mikvah in 50 Years Nears Completion — And You Can Help Finish It
FARGO, ND — In 1905, Harry Turnoy arrived on the windswept plains of North Dakota with a vision not only to build a life, but to preserve the sanctity of Jewish tradition. On his homestead near Wilton, he built a mikvah—a ritual bath for his wife Gittel—enclosing it in a small wooden structure beside the family windmill. It wasn’t fancy, but it was there. For the Turnoys, it was a lifeline to their heritage in a land where Jewish life was as sparse as the prairie grass.
Years later, their daughter Sophie Trupin would recount how, decades after her family had moved away, her brother returned to find the house and barn in ruins. But the cement outline of the mikvah—humble and unadorned—still stood.
“It gives me chills every time I think about it,” says Rabbi Yonah Grossman of Chabad of North Dakota. “It’s a strong message. Even when everything else fades, the mikvah endures.”
The mikvah, a cornerstone of Jewish family life, enables the observance of the laws of family purity. It is one of the most deeply personal mitzvahs, carried out monthly by Jewish women in a moment of renewal, reflection, and spiritual connection.
And it’s coming back to North Dakota—for the first time in 50 years.
To contribute and double your impact, visit jewishnorthdakota.com/finishthemikvah.
A Long Legacy of Determination
The state has a powerful, if little-known, mikvah history—one marked by grit, vision, and unwavering faith. In the early 1900s, in Grand Forks, when a disgruntled individual tried to sabotage the local mikvah by padlocking it shut, legendary pioneer rabbi Benjamin Papermaster didn’t flinch. He insisted it remain open for the entire Jewish community and fought back against efforts to restrict access.
“He understood the stakes,” says Grossman. “A mikvah isn’t just a building. It’s the heartbeat of Jewish continuity.”
In Fargo, that continuity took root in 1912, when widowed businesswoman Lena Kopelman signed a contract with the Fargo Hebrew Congregation to house a mikvah in the basement of her store. Just steps from her tiny apartment, she provided towels, soap, and water—and received one dollar per visit. Today, the mikvah is sealed under a concrete slab, its legacy buried but not forgotten.
Bringing the Mikvah Back
Now, Chabad of North Dakota is writing a new chapter. A modern, luxurious mikvah is nearing completion in Fargo. Built with care and designed for comfort and dignity, it will once again allow women across the state to observe the mitzvah of mikvah —many for the first time without having to travel over four hours each way to Minneapolis or Winnipeg.
“Until now, it has been extremely difficult to share the mitzvah of mikvah considering it may involve driving through snowstorms, finding childcare, navigating border crossings to Winnipeg…,” says Esti Grossman, co-director of Chabad. “Now, the mikvah will be here, and accessible to all.”
You can help make this happen!
A matching campaign is now underway to help complete the project. Every dollar donated will be doubled, up to $20,000, thanks to Keren Hachomesh.
A Call to Action
This is more than a construction project. It’s a revival—a continuation of the legacy that began with Harry Turnoy, was defended by Rabbi Papermaster, and was nurtured by women like Lena Kopelman. It’s a chance to be part of history.
“Every contribution helps another woman embrace this mitzvah,” says Rabbi Grossman. “It’s about giving families the tools to live Jewishly—here, in North Dakota, without compromise.”
The mikvah is expected to open by early summer 2025.
To contribute and double your impact, visit jewishnorthdakota.com/finishthemikvah.
Be part of bringing this sacred tradition home.
Because when everything else fades, the mikvah remains.