WeddingsMazal Tov! If you are planning a wedding at ATJC, please contact Rabbi Jonathan Berkun 305.937.1880 as early as possible. In addition, all necessary facility rental and catering needs should be discussed with your in-house caterer Events by Premier, Steve Pollack 305.931.4118.
How Does Jewish Tradition Relate To Us As Engaged Couple? The importance of marriage in the Jewish tradition is summed up in the Talmudic statement that when one marries, one becomes a complete person. Marriage is regarded as the ideal state. In the Book of Genesis, God tells Adam that “It is not good for man to live alone.” A Jewish marriage celebrates the creation of a new Jewish family and is a step toward keeping with the first mitzvah to “be fruitful and multiply.” The mystical teachings of the Zohar says, “God is constantly creating new worlds by causing marriages to take place.” Thus, Judaism has always viewed marriage as a sacred covenant. Your wedding day will likely be one of the most significant occasions in your life. It is a consecration, a sanctification of life itself. Indeed, the Hebrew word for marriage is kiddushin, “holiness.” It is derived from the Hebrew word kadosh, which means to be holy, separate and distinct. When you enter the bonds of kiddushin, you enter a relationship that says to you and to the world that you are now set apart from everyone else. Your lives are now inextricably bound together by a holy bond. The Ba’al Shem Tov, founder of Hassidism, said it well: “From every human being there arises a light that reaches to heaven. When two souls are destined to find each other, their streams of light flow together, and a single brighter light goes forth from their united being.” Marriage Eligibility Under Conservative Judaism Rabbi Jonathan Berkun and Cantor David Muchnick will officiate as the wedding of any couple who are either the children of Jewish mothers or who have been converted to Judaism according to the process designated by Jewish law. Divorced individuals must have secured a get, or Jewish divorce, before remarriage. Please consult with Rabbi Berkun on these matters and we can help you. Wedding Officiates Rabbi Jonathan Berkun shall officiate or oversee at every wedding in the Main Sanctuary and Chapel. In the event you wish clergy from another synagogue or temple to co-officiate, you need to discuss this with us so that a letter of invitation can be sent to the requested clergy. |   |
