FAQ & Jewish Wedding 101
Question
Brachot (Blessings)
Answer
There is a tradition at Jewish weddings for the newly married couple to give out brachot (blessings) to anyone who asks. Michael's teacher Nehemia Polen frames blessings as seeing somebody's presence and acknowledging it with your own, and we hope that in the rush of the wedding day, we can all take a moment to offer each other the gift of our full presence. We hope that everyone will come ask one or both of us for a bracha (blessing) during the evening. If there is something in particular you want to be blessed with (health, discernment, happiness, etc), you can let us know, or you can ask for a general bracha.
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Tzedakah (Charity)
Answer
It is customary for Jews to give 10% of their income to tzedakah (charity), and we hope to encourage charitable giving as part of our wedding. Therefore, we are pledging 10% of the value of all gifts received to tzedakah. We also encourage each guest to make a contribution worth 5-10% of the value of any gifts given to a nonprofit of their choice. You can also choose to donate through the tzedakah cash fund on our registry page, which will be distributed to the following organizations: Yad Chessed (Boston Jewish food bank) New Roots (Kentucky-based food justice) Jewish Fund for Abortion Access (NCJW & NAF collaboration)
Question
COVID Precautions
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We have a number of family members and friends attending who are immunocompromised, so while almost every part of our wedding day will be outside, we still want everyone to feel safe and stay healthy. If you feel sick, we ask you to please take a rapid test prior to attending (there are many places in Cambridge where you can find free test kits!), and wear a high quality (KN94/95) mask while indoors.
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Jewish Wedding 101
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Because knowledge is power!
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Aufruf
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On the Shabbat prior to the wedding, we'll have an aufruf (Yiddish: calling up). We will be honored with an aliyah (reciting the blessings before reading the Torah scroll) during Shabbat morning services, and receiving blessings from the community. Services are followed by a kiddush, or festive meal.
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Before the Chuppah: Tisch, Bedeken & Ketubah
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Tisch: Before the ceremony proper, Jenn and Michael will each have a tisch (Yiddish: table, "tischen" is plural) where we'll spend time with our respective families and friends, sing, and make toasts in separate parts of the venue. Bedeken: Following the tisch, you'll get to escort us to meet at a central location for the bedeken (Yiddish: veiling), where Jenn will put on her veil and Michael will put on his kittel (a white cotton garment worn during the marriage ceremony and on certain holidays). Ketubah signing: Immediately prior to the ceremony, we will read and sign our ketubah, our marital agreement, along with our officiant and witnesses, affirming our commitment to one another.
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During the Chuppah
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Chuppah: Guests will be seated for the chuppah, which can refer to the ceremony itself, but is also the specific term for the wedding canopy under which we will stand. The ceremonial elements will include blessings, the exchange of rings and vows of intention, and end with the recitation of the Sheva Brachot, the traditional seven wedding blessings which, in the eyes of Jewish tradition, officially bind a marriage. And of course, smashing the glass! Yichud: The formal ceremony ends with guests escorting us with song and dance to the yichud room, where we will spend the first few moments of our lives as a married couple alone. See you in a few!
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Sing with Us!
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These are some traditional tunes you may hear at the wedding. Please feel free to sing along! Im Eshkachech - If I Forget You (Jerusalem) https://open.spotify.com/track/0X9e5v1MPmJSCnzfHEBZTS?si=1e1505cba1d74f84 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm5rBHBuGJ8&ab_channel=SoulfulAcappella-Topic Mi Bon Siach https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aazH0lSDCCs Od Yeshama https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSYyk9AsidA&ab_channel=JasonFreed Erev Shel Shoshanim https://open.spotify.com/track/1Cj7e2LLJafNWHOikXlHQg?si=b5bc1db4225249eb
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Simcha Dancing & Shtick!!
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Simcha Dancing aka The Hora: We will re-enter the scene in time for the end of cocktail hour, and just in time for simcha (Hebrew: joy) dancing! This is the spirited traditional circle dancing you've probably seen represented in media depictions of Jewish celebrations. We love this part of weddings! Shtick: During the hora, between a bit of circle dancing and the requisite chair-lifting (followed by much more circle dancing!), we will be seated on chairs and you, our beloved guests will entertain us, aka do "shtick". What does "shtick" look like? Anything you want, and anything that will make us laugh! There will be loud music and lots of people, so please keep shtick to 30 seconds or less (no scripted songs, etc).
Question
What's for dinner?
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We're catering from Veggie Crust (Pizza! Indian food!) in Brookline! All food will be kosher and vegetarian, with many vegan and gluten free options.