Edgware Lubavitch has received planning permission from Barnet Council for the construction of a permanent brick building to house the mikveh at the rear of its Hale Lane premises.

It replaces a wooden cabin which was destroyed by fire last year, al-though the ritual bath itself escaped damage and has continued in use inside a temporary structure.

The new building will be twice the size of its predecessor and, for the first time, will allow the mikveh to be used by women as well as men, although only on Friday nights.

"This is a very significant and useful additional facility," said Edgware Lubavitch director Rabbi Leivi Sudak. "The lack of a mikveh that women can use has up to now been the missing link in an otherwise perfect mikveh experience in Edgware. It means that women who live closer to our part of the area will no longer need to make the walk to and from the nearest alternative, in the grounds of Edgware United Synagogue. This is a potentially risky journey for ladies on their own after nightfall."

A ground-breaking ceremony is scheduled towards the end of July, coinciding with celebrations of Rabbi Sudak's 50th birthday. Construction will commence after the High Holy-Days. It is hoped the mikveh will be available for use before Pesach, "but we will be urging the builders to move ahead at a pace which will allow us to collect the requisite rainwater during the winter season", Rabbi Sudak explained.