The Wedding Of

Amit Sid

Rebecca McLouthSunday, november 6, 2016

5 Cheshvan, 5777

To our friends & family:We are so thrilled and thankful that you could be here with us today. Thank you for traveling from near and far to celebrate and witness the beginning of a new chapter in our lives.

Special thanks go to our parents, without whom none of this would be possible. You have supported and encouraged us from the very beginning, and continue to inspire us with the love you share in your own marriage.

The traditional Jewish wedding is full of symbolism and meaningful rituals, many of which date back to the Biblical era. We hope this program will explain the various pieces of the ceremony and provide meaning to each event.

Remembering those not here with us:

Amanda McLouthLucille Kramer

Charles McLouthDavid McLouthPhyllis Muscato

Charles MuscatoGerald Muscato

Menie SidJoseph SaletskyIsaiah Rosemberg

ProcessionMaid of Honor

Hila Sid • Escorted by Garry Schragenheim

Parents of the GroomLeah & Alberto Sid

GroomAmit Sid

Parents of the BrideEugenia & Thomas McLouth

BrideRebecca McLouth

OfficiantRabbi Arthur Weiner

HarpEnki Bello

Ketubah & Bedeken

Chuppah

Before the ceremony, Amit & Rebecca will meet for two integral pieces of the Jewish wedding - signing the Ketubah and the Bedeken ceremony.

The Ketubah is one of the oldest aspects of the Jewish wedding. It is a marriage contract, outlining the commitments and obligations the bride and groom make to one another. Before the ceremony, Amit and Rebecca signed their Ketubah in the presence of their parents and two witnesses.

The Bedeken, or veiling ceremony, takes place after the signing of the Ketubah. The custom of the groom “veiling” the bride derives from the biblical story of Jacob, who mistakenly married Leah instead of Rachael because her face was covered. It is also reminiscent of Rebecca veiling herself before marrying Isaac. Amit places the veil over Rebecca’s face, and the couple shares a moment of blessing with their parents. This is often the most emotional part of a Jewish wedding, when the bride and groom first see each other for a few moments before the main ceremony begins under the chuppah.

The Chuppah is the ceremonial canopy symbolizing the home Amit & Rebecca will build together. The sides of the Chuppah are left open to welcome all friends and family into their new life and home, like the tent of Abraham.

The canopy was handmade by Amit’s mother, Leah. The chuppah poles were constructed by his father, Alberto. Both sets of parents will join their children under the Chuppah as part of their life’s foundation, their “pillars of support.”

ErusinA Jewish wedding consists of two parts: the Erusin (betrothal) and the Nisu’in (nuptials). Originally, the Erusin occurred months before the Nisu’in, but over time the two celebrations merged into one.

The betrothal ceremony involves two blessings. The first is a blessing over wine, because there is a saying: “Without wine, there is no blessing.” Reciting a blessing over the wine sanctifies it; that is, the blessing changes it from ordinary wine into something sacred and holy. So, too, marriage is sanctified and made holy through the recitation of the betrothal blessing, the Birkat Erusin.2

Circling the GroomOnce Rebecca reaches the Chuppah, she will circle Amit seven times. This tradition may derive from many places, for instance that there are seven days in a week, Joshua circled the walls of Jericho seven times in order to bring them down, and there are seven aliyot on Shabbat.

By circling her groom, Rebecca symbolizes the love, support, and protection she gives to Amit, and brings down any wall that may remain between them. “The bride and groom come separately to the chuppah, which is supposed to represent their new home,” said Rabbi Joshua Gruenberg.1 “Then, the circling creates the intertwining of their lives in that home. They come down the aisle as two, but leave as one.”

1. Melissa Jacobs. “Circling Wedding Ritual Makes a Comeback.” Jewish Exponent. March 13, 2014.2. Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer, Sue Levi Elwell, and Kerry M. Olitzky. “The Creative Jewish Wedding Book: A Hands-on Guide to New & Old Traditions, Ceremonies & Celebrations.” Woodstock, VT: Jewish Lights Publishing, 2004.

Kinyan

Nisu'in

The next portion of the Erusin is the ring-giving. There are several requirements for the ring Amit gives to Rebecca. It must be a smooth, unbroken, unadorned band, signifying a marriage unmarred by conflict or distraction.

Amit places the band on Rebecca’s right forefinger, once thought to be directly connected by a special artery to the heart. He then recites the haray aht, which translates to, “Behold, by this ring you are consecrated to me as my wife according to the laws of Moses and Israel.”

Rebecca then places a matching unadorned band on Amit’s hand and recites her own blessing for Amit: Anee L’Dohdee V’Dohdee Lee (“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” from Song of Songs).

Following the exchange of rings, the Ketubah will be read for all.

The second piece of the wedding is the Nisu’in, when the Sheva Brachot (“Seven Blessings”) are recited over a cup of wine. The Sheva Brachot are the liturgical core of the ceremony, the last of which is, roughly translated,:

“Blessed are you, our G-d, sovereign of the universe, who created joy and celebration, groom and bride, mirth, song, delight and rejoicing, love, brotherhood, peace, and companionship. Soon, may there ever be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem voices of joy and gladness, voices of groom and bride, the jubilant voices of those joined in marriage under the bridal canopy, the voices of young people feasting and singing. Blessed are you, G-d, who causes the groom to rejoice with his bride.”

Breaking the glass

Yichud

One of the best-known customs from the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony, the breaking of the glass holds numerous symbolic meanings. Most notably it reminds us of the destruction of the Ancient Temple of Jerusalem and all the sorrows the Jewish people have suffered.

Alternatively, some believed the sound of the breaking glass would frighten away evil spirits who might spoil this joyous occasion with their mischief. It also warns us that love, like glass, is fragile and must be protected. The promises made by the bride and groom, like the broken glass, are irrevocable.

Lastly, it has been suggested that the act of breaking the glass is in itself an implied prayer: “As this glass shatters, so may our marriage never break.”

Once Amit breaks the glass, everyone gathered exclaims “Mazal Tov,” concluding the ceremony.

The final piece of the wedding ceremony is just for Amit and Rebecca. They spend a few minutes alone in a private room, known as Yichud. In a day filled with chaos, this is their first opportunity to be together as husband and wife before joining family and friends in celebration.