Weddings
The wedding continues to be one of the most joyous moments in our lives. We want everything to be just perfect for our nuptials, and we want to ensure that every wedding in which we here are involved, proves to be one of the most beautiful moments in your life.
If you are interested in a place for your ceremony, why not a synagogue that has been consistently ranked as having one of the 15 most beautiful sanctuaries in the world by magazines such as Condé Nast Traveler. Yet, we don’t simply rely on the mesmerizing elegance of our sanctuary to ensure a memorable celebration. We cater to your every need, whether you are member of our congregation or someone hosting a destination wedding. We also invite you to use our social hall, our library, and our entire 3rd floor as you need. Our museum is, by the way, a stunningly gorgeous place to sign a Ketubah.
Rabbi Haas and Cantor Rachel will officiate at weddings for both members and non-members, for intermarried couples, and for same-sex marriages in our sanctuary and at other locations.
If you would like information on hosting a wedding in our sanctuary, please contact our Executive Director, Bob Greenberg
If you would like to find someone to officiate at your offsite wedding, please contact Rabbi Haas or Cantor Rachel
Jewish Wedding Traditions
The ketubah (marriage contract) obligates a the spouses to provide food, clothing, and love.
The Jewish wedding is not just a one-day affair. Before the wedding is the aufruf, where the groom (or the couple) recites a blessing over the Torah and is showered with candy. The bride and groom have the opportunity to prepare spiritually by separately immersing themselves in the mikveh (ritual pool), a custom many grooms follow as well.
On the wedding day, before the ceremony, the ketubah is signed by two witnesses, and many couples do the bedeken ceremony in which the groom covers the bride’s face with a veil.
The marriage ceremony, conducted under a huppah (marriage canopy), has two parts–the betrothal, known as erusin or kiddushin, and the actual marriage, nissuin. The ketubah is generally read between these two parts. The betrothal traditionally includes:
- two blessings, one over wine and one reserving the couple for each other;
- the ring ceremony;
- and the groom’s recitation of the formula, “Behold, by this ring you are
- consecrated to me as my wife according to the laws of Moses and Israel.”
The nissuin ceremony involves the recitation of seven blessings, called the sheva berakhot, that reflect themes of Jewish marriage.
The ceremony ends when the groom (or sometimes groom and bride together — or in a same-sex wedding, both partners) shatters a glass in memory of the Temple’s destruction.
The rituals don’t end with the recessional. The newly married couple can spend a short time alone together in yihud, or seclusion, and then proceeds to the wedding feast.
The sheva berakhot can also be repeated after dinner and optionally each night for a week at celebratory dinners with family and friends.
Wedding information from MyJewishLearning.com
