Wedding

Stephanie and Tzvika, Spain, August 2009

Jewish Humanistic Intercultural Weddings with Rabbi Nardy Grün

This information is intended for couples that one of them is "non Jewish", weather living in Israel or abroad, and want to have a free spirited Jewish wedding.

I have a Wealth of experience marrying couples from all around the world in Israel and also couples that I married abroad.

Contact Rabbi Nardy 

For more information please use the form below

or call  Mobile: +972-52-4738983, Office: +972-2-6429368

Intercultural marriages
Two persons, one belonging to the Jewish culture that decides to form a binding commitment with a person outside of the Jewish culture.

The couple, The Priest and the Rabbi
Debbie and Viktor, Geramany, July 2007

An Intercultural wedding ceremony  can be held between:

1. Israeli citizens of different cultures or faiths
2. An Israeli citizen and a foreign non-Jewish citizen
3. An Israeli citizen and a guest worker.
4. Foreign citizens, one of them Jewish.
5. GLBT, weather from Israel or abrod.

Intercultural marriages assume that identities are not mutually disqualified. Joining one culture does not mean ruling out, or erasing the other. Even in same culture marriages it is not recommended forcing your beliefs on your spouse, let alone in an inter-cultural situation. Moreover, identities can not be eradicated or totally converted because they are not rigid and monolithic. Identities in our day and age are dynamic, fluid and elusive. Even if one of the partners will seemingly give up his or hers identity, it does not mean their identities are erased. It is rather suppressed. Thus, expunging one's identity is not a recipe or a guarantee to a happy and harmonious relationship.

  

Debbie and Viktor, Geramany, July 2007

Every marriage is Intercultural

This is a very important guiding principle to interfaith/intercultural wedding ceremony is drawn by Rabbi Adam Chalom [1]. Every couple has to combine different family traditions, personal styles and many other details. Religion and culture can simply be two more to add to the list. Interfaith and Intercultural marriages are different – some couples are “interfaith” in that they believe very different things; a Humanistic Jew and an Orthodox Jew would be an “interfaith” relationship. Some couples are better described as “intercultural” – from different cultural backgrounds but believing the same things about life. Each kind of inter-relationship has its particular challenges, but with communication, cooperation, and generosity both can be successful.

Daniela and Jonathan (From England)

Dead Sea, Israel, November 2006

The Secular Humanistic Halakha

The Secular-Humanistic Halakha (Jewish law in Hebrew) is about permissibility: allowing, permitting and aiding people live a meaningful life inside the Jewish culture. Religious Halakha, on the other hand, is all about prohibition and its tools are restrictions, bans, fences and proscriptions, in order to keep people inside religious boundaries.

Lana and Josh (From Canada) Ashdod, January 2011

 When it comes to marriage, the Secular-Humanistic Halakha is straight forward - Putting the human being in the center - the main principal of Humanism - means not only to respect and accept people's free choice of their partner in life, but also to support, even if they are of a different creed and identity, or of the same sex. This Halakha was best formulated in the 1991 Statement on Intermarriage by the Leadership Conference of Secular and Humanistic Jews [2]: 

Lisa and Dan (From China) Tel Aviv, September 2011

Preamble - Finding personal happiness in a loving and respectful relationship is a valid reason for marrying. In an open democratic society, where individual rights are valued, it is reasonable for some people to choose marriage partners from outside the cultural or religious community in which they were raised. When Jews choose to marry non-Jews, they may be simply combining their attachment to Judaism with a commitment to love and personal fulfillment. 

Mazal and Greg (From the US), Beer Sheva, June 2010

Statement: We, the members of the Leadership Conference of Secular and Humanistic Jews, deeply committed to the value of Jewish identity and to the importance of Jewish survival, strongly affirm:  the right of individuals, including all Jews, to chose their own marriage partners;  the obligation of Secular Humanistic Jewish Leaders to serve the needs of couples with different cultural and religious backgrounds and the right of such leaders to officiate at their wedding ceremonies. We recognize that differences in culture do not necessarily imply differences in philosophy of life; the right of Jewish Leaders to co-officiate with civil or religious officiants in any wedding ceremony that respects the cultures of both partners; the responsibility of all Jews to welcome the non-Jewish partners of Jews into the Jewish family circle and to offer them acceptance and respect.
We welcome into the Jewish community all men, women and children who identify with the history, culture and fate of the Jewish people.

---

[1]  "Wedding Information Booklet", by Rabbi Adam Chalom - Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation of Highland Park, IL (www.kolhadash.com).

[2]  Taken from http://www.lcshj.org/intermarriage.html