Schedule
Saturday, May 30, 2026
Aufruf service and kiddush lunch
9:45 am - 1:00 pm
418 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19019
This is a religious service at a fairly casual synagogue. Black jeans and a collared shirt / blouse are fine; there will also be people in suits and dresses.
"Aufruf" is Yiddish for “call-up.” During the Saturday morning service before the wedding, the soon-to-be-wed couple (in some traditions just the groom) is called up to bless the Torah. The congregation offers congratulations by singing and throwing candied fruit at them. (No joke!) Other family members are also honored. You don't need to arrive at 9:45 sharp, but don't be too late! The parts of the service where different people in the family will be honored will start between 10:00-10:30, and the climactic Torah service, including the Aufruf itself (the calling-up of the bride and groom), will start between 10:30-11:00. The service will end by 12:00, and a kiddush lunch will follow.
Rooftop Picnic
5:00 pm - 8:45 pm
129 S 30th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
Casual dress. Jeans and T-shirts are fine, or anything else you'd like to wear.
Gather with guests from across the country (and possibly beyond) the night before the wedding, for a picnic dinner on a rooftop, with a lovely view of the city. Food and drinks (alcoholic and non) will be available for purchase; you can also bring your own. Bring a blanket or camp chair to sit on, too, if you like, or just sit on the grass! Feel free to arrive anytime and leave whenever you need to. Rain location TBD.
Casual Dance Party
9:00 pm - 11:45 pm
“Going-out” glam outfits are encouraged. Think fun and funky cocktail dresses, LBDs, dressy jumpsuits, dark jackets and slacks, a touch of glitter, a cheeky sequin here and there (if that’s your style!)
Join us after the rooftop picnic for dancing at a local music establishment! Location is TBD - we'll keep you posted.
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Bedeken, Tisch, & Ketubah Signing
11:30 am - 12:45 pm
418 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19019
Wear what you're wearing to the ceremony and the celebration - something that feels special! Got a piece of clothing you’ve been saving for a special occasion, or something you’ve been waiting for the chance to wear? A vintage suit or dress? a traditional outfit from your family’s ethnic background? a sparkly jumpsuit with gossamer wings? Bright colors, finery, and razzle-dazzle are encouraged!
Tisch – Yiddish for “table.” On the morning of the wedding, the soon-to-be-wed couple (in some traditions just the groom) offers a commentary on the week’s Torah reading to the assembled crowd (in some traditions just the men). The crowd lovingly heckles the couple, interrupting their remarks and singing songs. Drinking is often involved. Bedeken –Yiddish for “covering.” This is the ceremony, following the tisch, in which the groom first sees the bride in her wedding dress and pulls down the bride’s veil so it covers her face. (In some traditions, it’s the first time the couple has seen each other in a week.) The lead-up to the covering itself is a celebration that often includes singing nigunim, or wordless songs. Ketubah – the Hebrew word for the Jewish marriage contract, written by the rabbi and signed by the bride and groom as well as witnesses. The ceremony for the signing of the ketubah takes place following the tisch and bedeken, and just before the wedding ceremony itself.
Wedding Ceremony
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
418 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19019
Wear something that feels special! Got a piece of clothing you’ve been saving for a special occasion, or something you’ve been waiting for the chance to wear? A vintage suit or dress? a traditional outfit from your family’s ethnic background? a sparkly jumpsuit with gossamer wings? Bright colors, finery, and razzle-dazzle are encouraged!
This is it - the main event!
Historical Walking Tour From Synagogue to Celebration Venue
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
418 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19019
Be sure to wear, or bring, shoes you'll be comfortable walking in for about an hour.
The optional 1.3-mile walk from the ceremony at Society Hill Synagogue to the celebration at the German Society of Pennsylvania goes past Independence Hall and a number of other important sites in the history of Philadelphia and the United States. Join public historian and professional tour guide (and groomsman) Fayge Horesh for a free historical walking tour! You're of course also welcome to take a bus (the 47 line), a taxi, bike, solo walk, or any other form of transportation to the German Society. Just keep in mind that parking is very limited over there.
Wedding Celebration
4:00 pm - 10:00 pm
611 Spring Garden St, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Wear something that feels special! Got a piece of clothing you’ve been saving for a special occasion, or something you’ve been waiting for the chance to wear? A vintage suit or dress? a traditional outfit from your family’s ethnic background? a sparkly jumpsuit with gossamer wings? Bright colors, finery, and razzle-dazzle are encouraged!
The celebration will begin with cocktail hour from 4-5pm. Weather permitting, we will be on the German Society's outdoor patio, complete with a piece of the Berlin Wall from Potsdamer Platz (central Berlin). At 5pm we will head into the auditorium, find seats, and share stories and speeches while enjoying dinner from the excellent local Yemeni restaurant Malooga. At 6:30pm the dancing will begin, led by Philadelphia klezmer-Latin band Mariposas Galácticas. We will break for dessert and a couple more speeches, then dance some more until the party ends 10pm.
After Party
Sun, May 31, 2026, 10:30 pm - Mon, Jun 1, 2026, 2:00 am
Stay in your celebration attire if you like; change into something more comfortable if you prefer!
Location TBD
Monday, June 1, 2026
Pub Sing
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
1214 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Casual dress
Our first night of shiva - seven days of celebration - will take place at the Philly pub sing. Feel free to bring any song you can sing or teach by ear, or just come to sing along. Everyone is welcome...and you definitely don't have to be a "good singer"...whatever that means. We sing shanties, drinking songs, labor songs, work songs, old-time gospel songs, call-and-response songs, verse-and-chorus songs...even the occasional round. Instruments are welcome, but not needed. More info: facebook.com/phillypubsing