Jewish Rituals & Information

General Traditions

The Jewish Calendar: Primarily lunar, with each month beginning on the new moon, when the first sliver of moon becomes visible after the dark of the moon. In ancient times, the new months used to be determined by observation. The cycle of Jewish holidays connects us to the seasons and often have layers of meaning that have developed over time. Almost every festival has a biblical, historical, and sometimes modern connection to our lives. The information listed under each Jewish holiday is only a small portion of what is available online. Almost all Jewish holidays begin at sunset and end at sunset. There are some elements that are connected to almost all the holidays.

Lighting Candles: We light candles to announce the arrival of Shabbat and festivals. The lighting of candles at the beginning of Shabbat or a holiday not only graces the evening with the beauty of candlelight, but also imbues the meal with a sense of oneg or delight.

Kiddush on Grape Juice or Wine: We use a blessing over wine to mark the start of Shabbat and festivals as special from all other days, to sanctify the day. Another reason for using wine (or if you prefer, grape juice) is to lend a celebratory feeling to the Shabbat or festival meal that follows, distinguishing it as a special, festive occasion, different from other meals during the week.

Challah: In ancient times, bread was a central part of the meal. By adding eggs and sugar to the bread we made challah on Shabbat, a special kind of bread. Shabbat and most other Jewish holidays are started with this special treat. A round challah symbolizes a long life span, the circularity of the calendar, or the birth of the world. Challah for Rosh Hashanah is often made with a sweet dough, or has a sweet fruit like raisins and cinnamon baked into it.

Shabbat: A weekly 25-hour observance, from just before sundown each Friday through the completion of nightfall on Saturday, Shabbat is more than just a day off from labor. It is a day of physical and spiritual delights that is meant to illuminate certain key concepts in the traditional Jewish perception of the world.

High Holidays: Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot

Rosh Hashanah
Rosh Hashanah, translated as Head of the Year, begins on the first of Tishrei. This holiday celebrates the good things we have experienced in the previous year, and also launches a time of personal reflection. Rosh Hashanah begins the High Holidays or Days of Awe, leading up to Yom Kippur. In the Torah the holiday is called Yom Teruah - The Day of Sounding the Shofar. Most of the ritual for the holiday is in the synagogue, including listening to the many blasts of the shofar.

The service in the synagogue has special extended prayers to mark the solemnity of the day. There is often a different prayer book used from the weekly Shabbat service.

The festival meal for Rosh Hashanah contains many symbols to celebrate our good fortune and our hopes for sweetness for a new year. The traditions for our table may change depending on what region our ancestors are from. Families of Sephardic and Mizrahi origin have a Rosh Hashanah Seder at their holiday tables. Every dish comes with a special blessing for the coming year.

Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur, translated Day (Yom) Atonement (Kippur/Kaparah), begins on the tenth of Tishrei.

Considered the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, it is a day we are to make amends with our friends and family and commit to change our behavior. Most of the ritual for the holiday is based in the synagogue, including special prayers, special tunes, and hearing the shofar blasts. Personal observance of the holiday is to leave behind the mundane and regular practice of daily life. Adults refrain eating or drinking for 25 hours. It is traditional to dress in white on this day, symbolizing personal purity.

For those observing Yom Kippur fast, it's traditional to eat a Seudat HaMafseket (Meal of Separation). The meal is generally a simple one, and it's smart to include fiber-rich, low-sodium foods that will offer those fasting sustained energy. Even though the Yom Kippur holiday begins at sunset, we make the meal before the holiday even starts, a festive one. Yom Kippur is a solemn holiday, but we want to express that we are going into the holiday with joy. After enjoying the meal, Yom Kippur begins with a special service in the synagogue called Kol Nidre.

Sukkot
Sukkot begins on the 15th of Tishrei. It follows five days after Yom Kippur. It is quite a drastic transition, from one of the most solemn holidays in our year to one of the most joyous.
The holiday has many names.

Sukkot means booth or tabernacle. Part of our celebration of the holiday is to build a booth, a Sukkah. This is why the holiday is called the festival of booths.
Sukkot is so joyful that it is commonly referred to as Z'man Simchateinu, the “Season of our Rejoicing”
Much of the imagery and ritual of the holiday revolves around rejoicing and gratitude for the completed harvest. The festival is also called hag ha-asif, “The Harvest Festival.”

In addition to eating and enjoying time in a Sukkah, observance during Sukkot involves what are known as the Four Species (arba minim in Hebrew) or the lulav and etrog. We are commanded to take these four plants and use them to "rejoice before the L-rd." The four species are an etrog (a citrus fruit similar to a lemon native to Israel; in English it is called a citron), a palm branch (in Hebrew, lulav), two willow branches (aravot), and three myrtle branches (hadassim). The six branches are bound together with dried palm leaves, the willow positioned on the left, the palm in the middle and the myrtle on the right. They are referred to collectively as the lulav, because the palm branch is by far the largest part. The etrog is held separately. When you purchase a lulav and etrog (usually through your synagogue or a local Jewish Community Center), With these four species in hand, one recites a blessing and waves the species in all six directions (east, south, west, north, up and down).

Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret
Shemini Atzeret means the “Eighth Day of Assembly,” while Simchat Torah means “Rejoicing in Torah”

The observance of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah are centered in the synagogue and community. The seventh day of Sukkot is called Hoshanah Rabah. On that day in the synagogue, Jews circle the room seven times while the arbat ha’minim are held and special prayers are recited.

Community Passover Seder and Meal Information

Adventure Rabbi is offering a Passover retreat to the community in Moab, Utah. A Reform Passover Seder featuring traditional foods, innovative outdoor Seder, camping, w/ options for additional programs. Friday, April 11-Sunday, April 13. https://www.adventurerabbi.org/passover-in-moab/

Congregation Bonai Shalom will be offering Seder Matching this year. Please direct people to our Passover webpage for all info about our services, or directly to the form to sign up as a host or guest.

Boulder Center for Judaism will host a Seder on the First Night of Passover, Saturday, April 12, 7:45 PM at our beautiful new center on 2810 Jay Road. The evening will be educational, inspirational, and sumptuous.

RSVP @ www.boulderjudaism.com/seder Adults $45, Children $20, Family $136.

Not all Matzoh is Created Equal! Order Shmurah Matzoh for your seder $35 white and $36 whole wheat, while supplies last: pickup is Sunday, April 6, 12:30 - 2 pm or by appointment. Click here to order.

Congregation Har Hashem will have a community seder on Sunday, April 13.

https://www.harhashem.org/event/second-seder.html

Congregation Nevei Kodesh is hosting a second night seder on Sunday April 13, 4 - 7 pm. Community Journey into Freedom led by Ba’alat Tefilah Michelle Wolf and Susan Berman https://www.neveikodesh.org/event/community-pesach-seder---time-and-location-tbd.html

Chanukah

Chanukah means Dedication
Chanukah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of the Maccabees. The First and Second Books of Maccabees contain the most detailed accounts of the battles of Judah Maccabee and his brothers for the liberation of Judea from foreign domination. These books include within them the earliest references to the story of Chanukah and the rededication of the Temple.

Learn more about the story of Chanukah

Lighting the Candles
The only religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a Hanukkiah. Some have the custom to light a Hanukkiah for each person in the family. Since most candles burn for 30-60 minutes, we often light the Hanukkiah in the home, so we can enjoy the glow of the lights and stay close for fire safety.

Each night, another candle is added from right to left (like the Hebrew language). Candles are lit from left to right because you pay honor to the newer thing first.

Blessing over the candles

Customs
One of the best parts about Chanukah is arguably the fried food, especially the latkes! Emblematic of the olive oil that miraculously lasted eight days, latkes are a delicious way to tell the story of this eight-night holiday.

Historian and rabbi Gil Marks explained, “We’re not exactly sure what foods were traditionally made prior to the 14th century, when two types of Hanukkah foods emerged on the record, dairy foods and fried foods.”

Sephardic Jews made many variations of fried sweets for the holiday, while Ashkenazi Jews in Northern Europe made fried blintzes and donuts. Italian Jews in the 15th century made fried ricotta cheese pancakes (“cassola”) which were arguably the first “latkes.”

A dreidel (sevivon in Hebrew) is a spinning top, with four sides, each side featuring a different Hebrew letter: nun (נ), gimmel (ג), hay (ה) and either shin (שׁ) or peh (פּ).

The game of dreidel is often explained with a legend that, during the time of the Maccabees, when Jewish children were forbidden from studying Torah, they would defy the decree and study anyway. When a Greek official would come close they would put away their books and take out spinning tops, claiming they were just playing games.

Menorah or Hanukkiah
Many people refer to the Hanukkiah as a menorah. The name menorah is used only to describe the seven-branched candelabrum that was housed in the Jewish Temple. The Hanukkiah holds nine candles: one for each night, plus a shamash (servant) at a different height.

Learn more about the Hanukkiah

Sustainable Holidays Guide

Tu B'shevat

Tu B’Shevat, literally the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, is the New Year for the trees, often called the “birthday of the trees.” Why do the trees need a birthday? There are a lot of Jewish laws about agriculture and farming to help us take care of the fields, crops, and trees - and they require that we know how old our trees are! These laws mainly apply to food grown in Israel, but they offer a lot of good advice and reminders for environmental sustainability everywhere. Today, Tu B’shevat symbolizes a sort of Jewish Earth Day or Jewish Arbor Day, giving us the opportunity to assess our environmental commitments for the year and examine our spiritual place in the natural world.

In the 16th century, the Kabbalists (mystics) of Tzfat (the city of Safed) in Israel created a new ritual to celebrate the holiday. Modeled on the Passover seder, participants would read Jewish texts about the land and trees and would eat fruits and nuts traditionally associated with the land of Israel. The Tu B’Shevat Seder continued to evolve over the centuries and with the rise of the modern environmental movement in the 1970s, Tu B’Shevat became a time when we could connect environmentalism and conservation with Jewish practice. There are many resources online to help you host a Tu B’shevat Seder for adult s and for families.

The most important environmental challenge of our day is the climate crisis. We encourage you to mark Tu B’shevat by making a commitment to reducing your carbon footprint. Here are some ideas from Hazon. Read more about them and make a personal commitment for environmental change here.

Get Growing/Buy Local. Sign up for a Farm Share, like the Tuv Ha’aretz CSA with Red Wagon Farm.
Buy Less Stuff. In the City of Boulder, a major part of our carbon footprint is generated by our consumption and waste.
Transition to a Plant Rich Diet. Read more about Climate Change and Agriculture from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.
Environment and Sustainability: Read more from Boulder County.
Reduce Household Waste. Read more about Zero Waste in Boulder.

It is also traditional to plant trees on Tu B’shevat. However, the holiday comes at the heart of winter in Colorado. You can still participate in planting trees through:

Donating money to planting trees, through Boulder JTree, or
Giving locally to reforestation efforts due to the Colorado Wildfires. Click here for more information about giving to the Calwood Reforestation Effort in Boulder County.
Choosing and order a tree for your backyard, that you can plant in the spring.

Purim

The holiday is celebrated on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar —which is a month of happiness and joy.

The holiday commemorates the day Esther, Queen of Persia, saved the Jewish people from execution by Haman, the advisor to the Persian king. Esther bravely exposed her previously hidden Jewish heritage to her husband the king and asked him to save her people, which he did. You can learn the whole story in this short video.

Hamantaschen are the most popular treat for Purim but there are different symbolic Purim foods served around the world at the Purim Seudah, Feast of Purim. Check out this recipe for Hamantashen. As part of the carnival-like atmosphere of Purim, many children and adults wear costumes.

Why?

Maybe because Esther initially “masked” her Jewish identity and lived in disguise in the palace.
The story of Purim comes to a dramatic climax with two fancy parties that Esther throws for the King and Haman. The costumes remind us of the fancy clothing they all put on for the parties.
In the story, Mordechai saves the life of the King Ahasuerus. To reward him, Mordchai is dressed in royal garments and paraded through the streets on the royal horse, perhaps the source for Purim parades.
It is possible the tradition originated with Italian Jews in the 14th century who borrowed the custom from their neighbors of holding carnivals in the days leading up to Lent.

The Purim Spiel

Spiel is a Yiddish word meaning a “play” or “skit.” A Purim spiel is actually a dramatic presentation of the events outlined in the Book of Esther. The Purim spiel was a folk-inspired custom providing an opportunity for crowds to cheer the heroes (Mordecai and Esther) and boo the villains (Haman).

Graggers

When we listen to the Megillah or watch the spiel, audience members can participate with cheers and boos. Adults and children both attempt to “blot out” Haman’s name with shouts, catcalls and swing noisemakers, called graggers.

Any noise maker will do. The original graggers were stones! French children wrote “Haman” on a pair of rocks, and smashed them together. You can even make your own gragger using beans and a paper plate or even shake a box of macaroni to make noise. This video will show you how to make your own gragger at home.

One special treat you might have in your shalach manot is a hamantaschen, a triangle-shaped cookie pastry with fruit or savory filling. The treat is said to look like Haman's tri-cornered hat or his ears.

The story of Purim is told in Megiliat Esther, the “scroll” or “book” of Esther. The Megillah is read outloud from a scroll in the evening Purim begins and again in the morning of Purim. The scroll is unrolled and folded like a stack of letters. The scroll is handwritten with special ink by a Sofer, scribe, on parchment. It could take up to 75 hours to write a Megillah.

One tradition of Purim is to give shalach manot, which translates to “sending portions” of food and drink to family and friends. These gifts are a great opportunity for creativity and fun and sustainability. We also have the tradition to give gifts to those in need, matanot l’evyonim, “portions for the poor”. You can give gifts of food to those experiencing food insecurity or make a donation to an organization that supports those in need.

Some tips for a sustainable Purim:

Give foods that are local and in season
Try to limit the amount of packaging you use and limit your single use plastics
Support workers and farmer by purchasing Fair Trade certified products

Passover

Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, is one of the three major pilgrimage festivals of ancient Israel and commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. Its name comes from the miracle in which God “passed over” the houses of the Israelites during the tenth plague. The holiday was originally two festivals: Pesach, a holiday-related to animal sacrifice; and Hag Hamatzot, an agricultural holiday related to the beginning of the spring harvest.

The holiday is centered on the family or communal celebration called a Seder (order) that is part ceremony reenacting the Exodus and part family meal filled with symbolic foods. The table has a number of ritual items including a Seder plate. These “props” help the family tell the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt. The Seder evolved from the Greek/Roman idea of a salon-adults lounging around drinking wine, having appetizers, and discussing “big” ideas, to the Middle Ages where the idea was to keep the children engaged with songs, and symbols, and questions and prizes. To prepare for the holiday, some people have the custom to search the house for chametz using candlelight.

Keeping children engaged in the Seder is an important part of the holiday and gives everyone an opportunity for creativity and imagination. There are several components of the Seder that are designed to engage children, and they work on keeping everyone connected to the telling of the story.

The Four Questions are starter questions to get everyone warmed up. Questions and conversation are one the best ways to have everyone engaged for the whole evening. Children are often the ones to sing the Four Questions at the Seder. It is a great way to get them involved in the evening.
Get crafty! There are a lot of craft projects kids can do to get ready for the holiday.
The Afikomen, "dessert" is broken in two during the Passover Seder. One piece is set aside to be eaten as a dessert after the meal. You can hide the afikomen and have the children find the dessert as a way to keep them active until the final act of the evening.

The Haggadah is the most popular book in the history of Jewish printing, having gone through thousands of editions. The Haggadahs used in Morocco are almost identical to those in Jewish homes in Munich. In 1932, Maxwell House, a leading coffee manufacturer, decided to print and distribute the now-iconic Maxwell House Haggadah. There are more than 50 million of these Haggadahs in print. There was a two-year pause on the printing during World War II, due to paper shortages.

The food for the Passover Seder is also a way to bring meaning into the holiday. Matzah, unleavened bread, is an integral element of the Passover festival. Matzo is made from flour and water. The flour may be whole grain or refined grain, but must be either wheat, spelt, barley, rye, or oat. You can make your own Matzah at home using this recipe.

Charoset is another ceremonial and symbolic food that is part of the Seder. The recipe for charoset is regional and takes advantage of the seasonal foods. You can bring the Jewish traditions from around the world to your Seder, by preparing different recipes of charoset for your Seder.

Most years, one is able to find a lot of herbs outside on the front range of Colorado that are appropriate for the seder plate, like wild lettuce (Lactuca serriola) or dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) for Maror, and even chives and other perennial herbs for Karpas. However, some years Passover comes “early” according to the solar seasons. When it’s still too cold to wildcraft herbs outside for your plate, or you don’t feel comfortable or are unable to pick herbs outside, we invite you to grow and sprout your own green plants for the seder plate, inside your own home!

Karpas, or spring herbs: Check out this video on growing celery from another celery plant! In order to have celery ready to eat for the Passover Seder, you probably want to start this project three weeks before the seder.

Maror, or bitter herbs: There are many options for growing Maror inside as microgreens or sprouts. Microgreens are typically distinguished from sprouts because microgreens are grown in soil and you wait for the first true leaves to appear before cutting them for eating. Sprouts are grown without soil and the full plant is eaten, including the roots, just after the first two leaves (cotyledons) appear.

Microgreens: Plant some lettuce or chicory (both traditional plants used for bitter herbs) in the soil in an egg carton. Microgreens require just a sunny window and about 2 weeks for growing. Click here for information on how to grow microgreens.

Sprouts: Horseradish is commonly used for maror in the Ashkenazi tradition. A similar spice/kick can be found in arugula or radish sprouts. You can grow sprouts and taste them in under a week! Click here for information on how to grow sprouts.

Check out some of these Sustainable Passover Resources

Yom HaShoah, Yom HaZikaron, and Yom Ha'atzmaut

Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day

In 1951, the Knesset (Parliament of Israel) passed a resolution establishing the 27th of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar as the annual Holocaust and Ghetto Uprising Remembrance Day or Yom Hazikaron laShoah ve-laG'vurah. This is a week after Passover and eight days before Israel Independence Day. Yom HaShoah is a day of commemoration that is also marked in Jewish communities across the United States.

In Israel, Israeli television airs Holocaust documentaries and Holocaust-related talk shows and venues of public entertainment are closed. Flags on public buildings are flown at half mast. An air raid siren sounds throughout the country and Israelis observe two minutes of solemn reflection. Almost everyone stops what they are doing, with motorists stopping their cars in the middle of the road and standing beside their vehicles as the siren is sounded.

In the United States, many communities hold ceremonies, recognition of survivors, and reading of names of victims. This day is recognized in addition to International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27, that was established by the United Nations.

Yom HaZikaron, Day of Remembrance

Yom HaZikaron is Israel's official remembrance day, enacted into law in 1963. In Israel, it is called Yom HaZikaron LeHalalei Ma'arakhot Yisrael ul'Nifge'ei Pe'ulot HaEivah, 'Memorial Day for the Fallen Soldiers of Israel and Victims of Terrorism’. Yom HaZikaron is dedicated to fallen soldiers and has also been extended to civilian victims of terrorism.

In Israel, the day is marked by a country-wide siren that marks the start of the commemoration at sunset. The siren lasts for one minute, during which Israelis stop everything, including driving, and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen and showing respect. All places of entertainment are closed and all broadcasting notes the solemnity of the day. The names and ranks of every soldier who died for Israel are displayed in a 24-hour television broadcast.

A two-minute siren is sounded at 11 am the following morning, marking the start of official memorial ceremonies and private remembrance gatherings at each cemetery where soldiers are buried. In the United States, many Jewish communities hold ceremonies to commemorate Yom HaZikaron.

Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel Independence Day

Israel declared independence on May 14, 1948, which corresponded with the 5th of Iyar in that year on the Hebrew calendar. Yom Ha'atzmaut was therefore originally celebrated on that date.

In Israel, an official ceremony is held every year on Mount Herzl, Jerusalem on the evening of Independence Day. The ceremony includes a speech by the speaker of the Knesset (the Israeli Parliament) and artistic performances. Many cities hold outdoor performances in city squares featuring Israeli singers and fireworks displays. Streets around the squares are closed to cars, allowing people to sing and dance in the streets.

In the United States and other countries around the world, Israel’s Independence Day is celebrated in a number of different ways, and not always on the exact day. Celebrations include community walks, parades, concerts, and a number of educational programs.

Shavuot

Shavuot is the Hebrew word for “weeks,” and always occurs seven weeks after Passover. Shavuot is one of the three pilgrimage festivals of ancient Israel. The other two are Passover and Sukkot.

Shavuot combines two major religious observances. First is the grain harvest of the early summer. Second is the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai seven weeks after the exodus from Egypt. Today, Shavuot is a celebration of Torah, education, and the choice to participate actively in Jewish life. This holiday marking the receiving of the Torah is why many congregations use the holiday to hold confirmation celebrations for teens.

Much of the observance of the holiday centers on the synagogue and its rituals. The special readings for the holiday include medieval poems (piyyutim) and the reading of the Book of Ruth. Another tradition is to participate in a Tikkun Leil Shavuot, an all-night study session marking the holiday.

Between Passover and Shavuot there is a countdown to Shavuot called the Counting of the Omer. In the days of the Temple, the counting marked the seven weeks from the wheat harvest on the spring festival of Passover to the harvesting of barley on Shavuot. Since the counting of this period begins on the second evening of Passover, Shavuot takes place exactly 50 days after the (first) seder. Hence, following the Greek word for “fifty,” Shavuot is also referred to sometimes as Pentecost.

Rituals & Customs for New Jewish Babies

There are a number of rituals and customs that accompany a new baby to help mark this exciting time in a family’s life and add intentionality and Jewish connection. We have found a number of articles and websites from around the globe that help explain the origins and basis for these traditions.

Baby Shower – the custom of not having a shower before the baby is born is based in superstition and not Jewish law. Read more. Here’s another take on whether or not to to have a shower. And here’s an article from the Huffington Post about customs based in superstition.

Naming a Child – Ashkenazi tradition suggests naming your child after someone who has passed in memory of that person and in hopes the child will take on the strengths of that person. Sephardic tradition suggests naming the child after someone still alive, often a grandparent, to honor the person while they are still living. Read more.

Hebrew/Yiddush Names – In Jewish tradition especially in the US, often children are given a second Hebrew or Yiddush name. Some families also choose to use a Hebrew or Yiddush name that act as both. Need suggestions, check out Kveller.com’s Baby Name Lists. There is some debate about when to announce the Hebrew name of a newborn child. Here is some insight from multiple religious perspectives. Often this name is used when a person is called to the Torah.

Brit Milah – Also known as a bris or circumcision is a ritual that happens eight days after a baby boy is born and welcomes him into the covenant of Judaism. If you’ve never been to a bris, here’s a great article on What to expect at a circumcison.Here’s another article on how to explain a bris to children.

Brit Bat – Also known as a Simchat Bat or naming ceremony. This relatively new Jewish ritual does not have any prescriptions on how to conduct the ceremony or when to conduct it. There are many resources to help you plan and conduct a welcoming ritual for a baby girl including this guide to planning a Brit Bat. Interfaith Family.com also has a beautiful guidebook for planning a brit bat. And finally, here is Kveller.com’s suggestions on planning a Brit Bat.

Brit Shalom – also known as Brit B’lee Milah. Covenant ritual for baby boys without circumcision. Humanistic Judaism shares their explanation and support of Brit Shalom here and Read more here.

Aliyah – there is a tradition of giving the father, or parents, an aliyah the next time the Torah is read after the birth of their child. Typically, a prayer is said for the health of the baby and the mother. A girl baby could also be named at this time, although there is no set law or tradition as to when you publicly name a baby girl.

Offering Congratulations – in more traditional Jewish circles, there is a custom of offering Beshaah Tovah instead of Mazel Tov when you learn someone is pregnant as a blessing for the future rather than of the past. Beshaah Tovah wishes that all things happen in their right time (during the pregnancy, labor and delivery) rather than Mazel Tov which congratulates the couple on conceiving. Read more.

Setting up the Nursery – you may have heard a Jewish tradition of not setting up the nursery before the baby is born. The most common explanation for this is a superstition involving the ayin hara, or evil eye. Read more. And if you are looking to add a little Jewish flair to the nursery, here’s an article on decorating your Jewish nursery.

Other Interesting Jewish Traditions – planting a tree, throwing sugared almonds, Pidyon ha-Ben

New Jewish Baby Ritual Leaders

Whether you are expecting a boy, a girl, one of each, or you are leaving it a surprise, we have a handy list of ritual leaders in town to perform any type of baby welcoming ceremony.

Brit Milah – All leaders listed in this column can perform both the circumcision and a ritual ceremony (mohel/mohelet) and/or can create and perform a ritual ceremony to accompany a circumcision procedure.
Brit Bat/Simchat Bat – all leaders listed in this column can create and officiate a baby naming ceremony for a girl
Brit Shalom – all leaders listed in this column can create and officiate baby naming ceremony for a boy without a circumcision procedure

✓ = Will perform ritual, X = Will not perform ritual

Ritual Leader	Brit Milah	Brit Bat/Simchat Bat	Mohel/Mohelet	Brit Shalom
Dr. Caryn Aviv	✓	✓	X	✓
Rabbi Brian Field	✓	✓	X	✓
Dena Gitterman	✓	✓	X	✓
Eve Ilsen	✓	✓	X	X
Rabbi Aver Jacobs	✓	✓	✓	X
Rabbi Hannah Laner	✓	✓	X	X
Sheila Malcolm	X	✓	X	✓
Rabbi Marc Soloway	✓	✓	X	X
Karin Susskind	✓	X	✓	X
Rabbi Gadi Levy	✓	✓	✓	X
Patrice Spitz, Rabbinic Pastor	✓	✓	X	✓

Jewish Wedding Rituals

The Jewish wedding is both beautiful and meaningful with room to be creative and make the rituals your own. Our community leaders share their thoughts on the customs and traditions.

Commentaries written by:
Sheila Malcolm is the Professional Leader/Madrikha of Beth Ami – Colorado Congregation for Humanistic Judaism. Humanistic Judaism affirms that knowledge and power come from people and from the world in which they live.

Rabbi Marc Soloway is the Rabbi of Congregation Bonai Shalom a conservative, egalitarian, diverse, multi-generational community that values difference and individuality.

Rabbi Joshua Rose was the Rabbi of Congregation Har HaShem from 2007 - 2014, affiliated with the Union for Reform Judaism, an inclusive congregation in covenant with God, dedicated to prayer, learning and building community.

Ritual	Rabbi Joshua Rose	Rabbi Marc Soloway	Sheila Malcolm
Jewish Weddings	A wedding is a celebration, a gathering but also something much more. It is a connection to something holy and transcendent, magnificent and beautiful. A Jewish wedding sets us up to see the coming together of two people in this light. Our tradition directs us toward particular rituals, some of which are familiar to many, some of which will be new, that open us to catch a glimmer of the holy at a wedding. These rituals help frame our understanding of the meaning of this deepest relationship in a Jewish context.	The main Hebrew term for a wedding is Kiddushin, which is from the root connected to holiness, sanctity or specialness. Something about a union of a couple under the chuppah brings a unique and intense level of sacredness to the relationship that enters the hearts and souls of each partner and fuses their souls as one in a deep ritual of connection.	A wedding ceremony should be a beautiful, meaningful and truthful reflection of the loving relationship between two partners. Your wedding day is the best time to be true to your values and practices. The readings and music, the clothing worn, the rituals enacted – all should be agreed upon to create an event that honors each partner as an individual, and the life they are about to begin as a couple. Humanistic Jewish weddings consider the beautiful practices of the past, open the door for creative elements, and focus on what is true and unique about the couple and their love. Humanistic Judaism supports Jewish couples as well as couples from different cultural or religious backgrounds who choose to include some Jewish traditions in their ceremonies. Jewish rituals are explained and Hebrew, if used, is always translated by the officiant.
Bedecken	The profound intimacy of this moment comes to us directly from the Torah. We gather privately before the wedding itself, away from the din of the gathering guests outside. As the veil is lifted there is a silent moment of beauty, and as each looks into the eyes of the other there is a tranquil, quiet, private moment. A lovely counterpoint to the shared, communal, ecstatic celebration to follow.	In very traditional circles, the couple is separated for seven days before the wedding and the electrically charged ceremony where they first see each other again, connecting to one another before standing under the chuppah, is called the bedecken. It is actually when the groom lifts up and then covers the face of his bride with a veil. A moment of intimate gazing into each other’s soul through the eyes, and then respecting the modesty and privacy of the individual. In return, the bride sometimes gives her groom a tallit (prayer shawl) as a wedding gift. The veil and the tallit both speak as symbols for each partner to say, “There will be times when I will cover up for you. I’ve got your back.”	Today, some brides choose to wear a veil for part of the ceremony, and others do not. In a Humanistic Jewish wedding, it is suggested that the veil be lifted during the ceremony so that the couple can see each other clearly for this powerful and emotional event.
Chuppah	In our evening prayers, we call out to God for sukkat shalomecha, the “shelter of Your peace.” That shelter is envisioned here as a source of protection, a symbol of God’s presence, a mircocosm of the home the couple will make together. Some couples choose a tallit (prayer shawl) to use a chuppah, and then this tallit can be used for prayer services and other holy occasions.	The chuppah represents physical and spiritual protection as well as the presence of community. The cover of the chuppah is like the home that the couple will build together; a structure to keep them safe and warm, God’s imminent presence and open sides at which friends and family stand in support and in love.	Jewish weddings, and many others, were historically celebrated outdoors. The Chuppah, or traditional wedding canopy, may have started as simply a rain shelter. Today it can represent the new home the couple will create together, their openness to the community gathered for their celebration, and their ability to peer outwardly and include the natural world.
Seven Circles	This beautiful and mysterious moment at the beginning of the wedding is a symbolic vision of what each person is now committing to the other: you are moving to the center of my life. Traditionally the bride circles the groom and while some couples choose this, others prefer an egalitarian option. Why seven circles? The Torah describes the creation of the world as unfolding over seven days; there are three patriarchs and four matriarchs; the seven spiritual divine forces that animate the universe manifest in each individual life. And more…	Traditionally, the bride circles the groom seven times as an acknowledgement of the domain they share as a kind of spiritual container to hold them still. Many couples honor this ancient tradition of seven bridal circles. Some couples choose to have the bride complete four circles, corresponding to the four matriarchs (Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah) and the groom to do three for the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.) Other couples each circle three times and then they do the seventh circle together, weaving in and out of each other’s space. Seven is a very important number that connects to a deep cycle in the universe to which the couple connect through this ritual.	A Humanistic Jewish wedding may include a circling around each partner, in a spirit of equality, with appropriate text or music to honor the traditional practice or create a new interpretation.
Ketubah	The ketubah is a wedding contract. Traditionally it is a legal agreement between husband and wife. Often couples choose to have contemporary language which articulates their highest vision of what their relationship might be and how their Jewish life together will unfold. In addition, many ketubot (plural) are beautiful works of art expressing a connection to the Jewish past. The ketubah is signed by witnesses before the wedding and read during the ceremony.	Ketubah literally means written and is, primarily, a legal contract. Like the written Torah, however, the text is “holy black fire” on “holy white fire.” The white fire is the space between the letters where the subtlety and privacy, the intimacy and the depth of the relationship dances with the binding, legal dimensions. The Ketubah hang in the couple’s home is an emotional transporter back to the moment of union under the chuppah. When times are challenging, the couple should hold hands in front of their Ketubah and take themselves back to the moment of standing together on their wedding day.	A Ketubah was originally a Jewish “pre-nuptual agreement” which has evolved into a document of loving commitment and often a work of art to commemorate the marriage. The Ketubah may include elements of the wedding ceremony, vows and other text, and may be witnessed and signed before the wedding. There are numerous options for designing art and creating text for the Ketubah, which takes a special place in the home of the newly-married couple.
Seven Blessings	The sheva berachot, or seven blessings, are a high point of the beautiful wedding ritual. Chanted by the rabbi, (or sometimes a very proud parent, grandparent, or friend) the Hebrew words sanctify this moment and take us on a journey through Jewish space and time, from the origins of our lives to the redemptive future, from the place we celebrate now to the streets of Jerusalem. A poetic and spiritual peak of the wedding.	The seven marriage blessings, sheva brachot, are like a bridge between the past, present and future. They allude to the bliss of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, the first couple to know love; they refer to the lovers themselves present with each other in joy; and the prophetic voice of Jeremiah imagines the jubilation and ecstasy of this couple to herald the dream of a new time, the age of Messianic hope.	There are many modern alternatives to the traditional Seven Blessings which can be recited by the officiant or responsively by the officiant and the gathered community.
Breaking the Glass	Perhaps the most well known Jewish ritual of all time: silence-crunch-mazel tov! The Talmud tells us that a Jewish sage smashed a glass at a wedding celebration in order to bring his overly-celebratory friends back to earth (he probably wasn’t invited to the next wedding). The deep and profound meaning behind this strange story is that Judaism always calls upon us to remember – even at our most joyous moments – that there is work to be done to put together the broken pieces of the world. Couples should plan on having someone reticence the broken glass, either as a keepsake or as something that can be turned into a piece of art down the road.	Memory is so alive in Jewish tradition; the joy and the sorrow. The origins of the breaking of the glass seem to be to remind us that even in the most ecstatic moments of joy, there is a memory of loss and destruction, with Jerusalem being at the spiritual center of it all. I see it more as a reminder to a couple that, even in the depth of their love for one another and the feeling of absolute wholeness, there is still so much brokenness in the world and that in the fullness of their hopes and dreams, they together hold a piece of the responsibility to make the world more whole through their love.	Along with being married under a Chuppah, this Jewish tradition has gained momentum in many contemporary weddings. The ritual can have many meanings, which would be shared with the wedding community: the power of the couple to crush any obstacles they may face, a new step forward and a break with the past, the commitment as a couple that only they will “drink from this glass,” and so on. After each partner drinks wine from the same glass, it is placed in a protective covering. Either partner, or both, may choose to step on the glass, followed by a lively and joyous conclusion to the ceremony!
Yichud	Right after the shouts of ‘mazel tov” carry the new couple floating back up the aisle, the two gather privately in a room while the guests assemble for a bite of food. Once this was the moment when the couple consummated their relationship. What happens there is your business, I suppose, but most couples use this as a brief moment of quiet, catching your breath, saying ‘can you believe it?’ before taking their position as the honored couple for the rest of the evening. This is sometimes the only quiet time the two of you will have until tomorrow, so enjoy it!	After all the planning and preparation; family and friends arriving and then the last details and the wedding itself, how perfect, how appropriate, to have some sacred moments alone immediately after the ceremony. Yichud is actually legally required after the chuppah and was, originally, when the marriage was consummated. Nowadays, it is more of a beautiful opportunity to be alone together before resuming the celebrations in community.	Originally an opportunity to consummate the marriage, today the Yichud, meaning “unity,” is a chance for the couple to spend a few private moments together, reflect on the ceremony, its meaning and their emotions, and to take a breath before greeting guests and celebrating.

Jewish Wedding Officiants

Planning a Jewish Wedding Ceremony is as easy as 1, 2, 3.
1. Identify your ceremony needs/interests.
2. Find an officiant in the left-hand column that meets your needs/interests.
3. Look through the personal statements of the officiants and contact him or her to plan a meaningful ceremony.

Officiant	Denominations	DIY*	Interfaith	LGBTQ+	Sephardic	Spiritual/Cultural
Rabbi Buz Bogage	Conservative, Reform	X	?	?	X	X
Rabbi Deborah Bronstein	Reform	?	X	?	X	X
Douglas "Lev" Ettelson	Orthodox	?	X	X	X	?
Rabbi Brian Field	Conservative, Reform, Renewal, Reconstructionist, Secular Humanistic	?	?	?	X	?
Rabbi Ruthie Gelfarb	Conservative, Reform, Renewal, Reconstructionist, Secular Humanistic	?	X	?	?	?
Dena Gitterman	Renewal, Reconstructionist	?	?	?	X	?
Rabbi Fred Greene	Reform	X	X	?	X	X
Rabbi Victor and Rabbi Nadya Gross	Conservative, Orthodox, Reform, Renewal, Reconstructionist	X	?	?	?	?
Nalini Indorf Kaplan	Conservative, Renewal	?	X	?	X	?
Rabbi Hannah Laner	Conservative, Renewal, Reform, Reconstructionist	?	?	?	?	?
Sheila Malcolm	Secular Humanistic	?	?	?	X	?
Charna Rosenholtz	Renewal	?	?	?	X	?
Marcia Siegal	Conservative, Reform, Renewal, Reconstructionist	?	?	?	X	?
Rabbi Marc Soloway	Conservative	X	X	?	X	X
Patrice Spitz, Rabbinic Pastor	Conservative, Reform, Renewal, Reconstructionist, Secular Humanistic	?	?	?	X	?
Rabbi Yisroel Wilhelm	Orthodox	X	X	X	?	?

*In Colorado, couples can “marry themselves” with no officiant needed. Officiants listed in this category are willing to speak with you about Jewish wedding traditions, if you are choosing to write your own ceremony and marry yourselves.

Our officiant listing is designed to help couples find an officiant to perform their wedding ceremony. Developed and distributed by Jewish Together-Boulder partners, our goal is to help you find the resources you need in the Boulder Jewish Community. The Boulder JCC does not endorse any of the officiants listed, and we apologize if anyone was omitted.

Chidush Lesson Plan Library

The Chidush (Education) Lesson Plan Library provides award-winning lessons submitted by Jewish educators from Boulder, Colorado who creatively design and execute innovative educational experiences. Lesson plans may be downloaded and reproduced for use in the classroom or home. Duplicating this material for publication or commercial purposes is strictly prohibited. View these lesson plans here.