Marriage

“אֲנִי לְדוֹדִי וְדוֹדִי לִי”

“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine,”

– Song of Songs (Shir HaShirim)

The Jewish wedding ceremony has traditions that are carried over from ancient times. 

Rabbi Russo will carefully go over with you the parts of the service and find ways to make the service personal and meaningful. We explore what it means to create a Jewish home. Premarital counseling is an opportunity to deepen the relationship in preparation for marriage.

Rabbi Russo joyfully officiates at same-sex marriages.

Generally, the wedding is composed of two parts: betrothal (Erusin) and marriage (Kiddushin and Nissu’in). Within these ceremonies are ancient customs that hold great meaning today such as the tisch/kabbalat panim, bedekin, circling, chuppah, and breaking of the glass. There are betrothal blessings and the seven wedding blessings under the chuppah (wedding canopy). 

Some couples choose to have a tisch first, a time of learning and drinking, coming from the yiddish word for table. The kabbalat panim is a time for brides to sit and receive and also bestow blessings to the guests. Bedeken, coming from the German word, bedek, means to adorn. The bride is adorned with a veil by her groom. There are many configurations of circling that add up to 7 circles. At the end of the ceremony, the glass is broken, which has many meanings including symbolizing the destruction of Jerusalem.  

Mazal Tov!