The issue of whether or not a Conservative Rabbi can officiate at an interfaith marriage ceremony is first and foremost a matter of integrity; integrity not only for the officiant but also for the couple and witnesses. Integrity means there is alignment between a person’s inner essence, their words and actions. It would be disingenuous,…
A version of this article originally appeared in the Texas Jewish Post. It was one of the more uplifting articles I had read this year. The Jewish News Service reported on the inspiring story of Rabbi Ari Sytner, who had donated a kidney to a stranger living in Israel back in 2012 when he was…
There is no reason that Nuseir Yassin and Alyne Tamir should be dating. He is Palestinian. She’s Israeli. He’s Muslim, she comes from Jewish and Mormon traditions. He is two years younger than her. When they met, her divorce was barely finalized. She’s a vegetarian. He loves to eat meat. And yet. Yassin, an internet…
As a Cantor, I’ve sung the Sheva Berachot (seven marriage blessings) countless times and I know the words by heart. They were recited for me at my first wedding some seventeen years ago. My then-husband and I simply followed the familiar formula: place a Jewish groom and a Jewish bride under a chuppah (wedding canopy),…
Dear Couple of Jewish and non-Jewish Backgrounds: It’s possible you decided not to meet with me because I could not be with you under the chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy). I don’t know for sure, but what I do know is that I missed out on hearing your story. Getting to know you and your relationship….
The Jewish Theological Seminary affirms that the study of Torah, the sacred wisdom of our people, and the performance of mitzvot, Judaism’s sanctified pattern of religious practice, stand at the very core of Jewish identity. Torah and mitzvot have always been the foundation of the Jewish people’s covenant with God, guiding and sustaining us for…
Four poles, a covering on top, open on all four sides -— the huppah. It’s such a simple structure, yet so layered with meaning. It is at once a private sacred space for the couple symbolizing their Jewish home, as well as a symbol that Jewish life is not lived in isolation, but in community….
Reading Rabbi Julie Schonfeld’s recent defense of Conservative Judaism’s ban on rabbis performing intermarriages, my primary sentiment was one of sadness. Why, though? It was not that I disagreed with her; on the contrary, I echo many of her sentiments and agree with her bottom line that performing mixed-faith marriages is a red line that…
100% of profits support our journalism
