Joy to the Bride and Groom

Have you ever been to a traditional Jewish wedding? At traditional weddings there are, of course, the normal, wonderful things that may be found at all weddings: the beautiful bride and…

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Joy to the Bride and Groom

Have you ever been to a traditional Jewish wedding? At traditional weddings there are, of course, the normal, wonderful things that may be found at all weddings: the beautiful bride and…

Read More

Joy to the Bride and Groom

Have you ever been to a traditional Jewish wedding? At traditional weddings there are, of course, the normal, wonderful things that may be found at all weddings: the beautiful bride and…

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Celebrating the Groom

A great deal of the wedding seems to focus on the bride. In fact, it is not uncommon to hear of a wedding referred to as “her day.”  In Jewish tradition, however, there is one…

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Placing A Veil

One of the most beautiful customs of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding is the ceremony known as the Badeken. The term Badeken is Yiddish for covering, as this is the moment when the bride…

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Placing A Veil

One of the most beautiful customs of a traditional Ashkenazi wedding is the ceremony known as the badeken. The term badeken* is Yiddish for covering, as this is the moment when the bride…

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Bo 5762-2002

"Rituals Work, Rituals Work" by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This coming week's parasha, parashat Bo, describes the final three plagues: locusts, darkness and the death of the first born,…

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Bo 5782-2022

“Rituals Work, Rituals Work!” (updated and revised from Bo 5762-2002) by Rabbi Ephraim Z. Buchwald This week’s parasha, parashat Bo, describes the final three plagues: locusts, darkness…

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The “Big Day”

Popular culture refers to one’s wedding as “The Big Day,” and it is, indeed, the beginning of an entirely new stage in one’s life. According to Jewish tradition, “there are three people…

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The Bride’s Shabbat

One of the greatest mitzvot, and one of the most enjoyable, is that of “Simchat Chatan v’Kallah,” bringing joy to a bride and groom. One way in which this is accomplished is through the…

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