This document will be updated further as we have more details available about our particular wedding and the traditions it will include. If you have any questions email Helene or Kevin.



Helene and Kevin (mostly Helene actually) have chosen to have their wedding on November 25, 2006, a Saturday night. The wedding cannot take place until after sundown, because the Jewish day of rest takes place from Friday night at sundown to Saturday night at sundown (Jewish days begin at sundown), and no work can take place during that period. Therefore, the wedding will begin at 7:30 on Saturday evening. Sundown is at 5:15, and this will give the bride, groom, and other guests sufficient time to prepare themselves and get to the synagogue where the wedding will take place.

When the guests arrive Kevin and several close male friends and family will be secluded at the Chossen’s tish (translation: groom’s table), where he is supposed to discuss the Torah portion of the week and mentally prepare for the ceremony. Helene will be sitting in the cocktail room on a throne where guests can greet her. At some point Kevin and the men in the Chossen’s tish will dance or march into the room where Helene and the guests are, to begin the ceremony known as the bedeken. Kevin will lower the veil over Helene’s head (this is the actual bedeken). This ceremony is reminiscent of how Rebecca veiled herself before her marriage to Isaac.

Helene and Kevin, along with witnesses, will also sign the ketubah (marriage contract). The ketubah contains all the agreements between the bride and groom.

The wedding procession will take place in the sanctuary. There will be a chuppah (wedding canopy) under which the ceremony will take place. The chuppah has several meanings, of which Helene will maybe write more if she finds more free time. Meanwhile she will move on to the ceremony. . .

The ceremony will begin with Helene’s circling Kevin 7 times. She will be accompanied by both her mother and Kevin’s mother. There are two parts to the ceremony: kiddushin and nissuin. Kiddushin consists of the circling, plus two blessings over a cup of wine. Kevin will place the ring on Helene’s index finger and will say the appropriate words. Next the ketubah will be read out loud. Nissuin follows immediately after—Seven Blessings are recited, the bride and groom drink another cup of wine, and Kevin will stamp on a glass (symbolizing that we are still sad about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem even on our happiest days).

After the ceremony Helene and Kevin will spend about fifteen minutes in a private room. This is called yichud, and it is meant to give the couple a chance to relax, reflect and eat after the ceremony. They will then join everyone else for party. We will do the hora (a traditionally Eastern-European Jewish dance), and at the end of the meal we will say Birkat HaMazon (the grace after meals), which everyone will be able to follow along with in the benschers (prayer books) that will be provided at the table. The highlight of the version of Birkat HaMazon that is done after a wedding is the Seven Blessings (the same ones said during the wedding ceremony), which will be recited by appointed guests.