Your Jewish Wedding

033 - Kiddush (The Blessing Over Wine) - Origins and History This is THE central blessing of almost every Jewish celebration - but WHY? Join Rabbi LeighAnn for a little anthropology and a lot of chit chat surrounding this ubiquitous ritual. Don't forget - you can reach me (Rabbi LeighAnn) any time at www.yourohiorabbi.com or everyonesfavoriterabbi.com or rabbileighann.com ! Fill out the contact fo...

I probably made a bunch of people upset years and years ago - but I can't remember all the details. (There's a reason you're supposed to apologize as soon as you mess up.) Between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Jews are called to do an honest accounting of our souls, and to make amends where we can. In this episode, I'll explain that a little more, and why MY apology, however imperfect, is pretty n...

031 - "Do You Plan to Have a Jewish Household?" (Finding a Rabbi Series) It’s one of the most common questions a rabbi may ask a couple before deciding that he or she is the right fit for the couple’s wedding. If a rabbi asked you this question, do you know how you would answer? Does it conjure feelings of fear, confusion, and dread? Don’t worry. I’m here to help. Don't forget - you can reach me (...

You know about breaking the glass, but what about breaking a PLATE? Welcome to the first LISTENER QUESTION episode of the Your Jewish Wedding Podcast, where I answer Olivia’s question: “I was wondering if you could explain the breaking of the plates by the mothers?” Yes! There is a Jewish custom where the mothers of the people getting married break a plate to “Seal the deal.” (Watch a short video...

Have you felt ghosted and abandoned by your favorite rabbi (me, obviously) ? Did you come here expecting an apology for my half a year absence?  Well, you won't get an apology, but you will get an explanation. Settle in for an update on what I've been up to, and some thoughts about how I'd like to expand my efforts to make a Jewish wedding accessible for anyone who wants one. 

Clueless about your Hebrew name? What about your fiance/e's? Your ketubah will most likely ask you to provide your Hebrew name - for very important reasons. Don't phone this one in - listen for tips and tricks on the best way to determine your Hebrew name and that of your beloved -whether he or she is Jewish or not. 

I interview Reverend Mercy Ibarra, an interfaith/bilingual officiant (and possible MOT?)  in Los Angeles. (Yes, she’s done Jewish weddings. And technicalities aside, she was brought up Catholic.) If you don't want a religious ceremony but your Abuela is NOT happy about it, Reverend Mercy can help! Listen for more on her experience with planning traditional AND innovative/personal ceremonies,...

Here’s exactly how to plan a QUICK and EASY Passover Seder for first-timers. The most important thing is to start somewhere and to always ask questions! If you’re short on time, go straight to 13:45 One-Sheet Haggadah: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10AMF__xWaP27AZBOUy-EDgMFN1uZq0cO/view?usp=sharing History of the Haggadah: https://www.jewishbookcouncil.org/pb-daily/a-brief-history-of-the-haggada...

What does the circling under the chuppah MEAN? Will it be weird if we do it at our wedding? Will we feel awkward? Will we freak out our guests? Should we explain it? Aaaaarggh! Yes, for many couples, considering circling under the chuppah just feels like TOO MUCH. Too much Jewiness, too much time, too much foreign weirdness...and yet, many still feel drawn to it.  Are you hoping to include ci...

Bekah specializes in simple, beautiful, and personal ketubahs for each of her couples. Using her experiences in interfaith and Jewish life from childhood onward, she approaches each couple with the curiosity and knowledge to make their ketubah process mean much more than just picking out a piece of paper to sign. Find Bekah and work with her at www.foreveriepaper.com Podcast - http://www.unsettled...

The traditional circling at a Jewish wedding has so much history and so many different meanings. As fun as its origins may be (you'll see!) I get most excited about how other cultures incorporate circling into their wedding ceremonies, too.  Please note: something went awry with the break music in editing. I don't really anticipate many, if any, of you caring. :)  Shownotes: The first si...

Rabbi LeighAnn chats with close friend of the Pod DJ Snead. Tune in for advice on choosing your ceremony music, how to find music pros you trust, and more! Find and book DJ Snead at https://www.djsnead.com/ Don't forget - you can reach me (Rabbi LeighAnn) any time at www.yourohiorabbi.com or everyonesfavoriterabbi.com or rabbileighann.com ! Fill out the contact form there if you'd like to work wit...

As long as it has four poles and a top, your chuppah can be ANYTHING you want it to be. It’s a PERFECT option for interfaith couples to represent both sides of their family! Here are some suggestions for how to make the chuppah at your Jewish or interfaith wedding personal and gorgeous. The art in my living room: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1282770863/tree-of-life-no-2-paper-giclee-print The phot...

The Chuppah - Whether or not you've been pronouncing it correctly, you probably know it is one of THE visual symbols of a Jewish wedding. But where did it come from?  Yes! This is one of those super nerdy episodes where we talk about the Bible and the Talmud, with. - what else? - lots of tangents. :)  Don't forget - you can reach me (Rabbi LeighAnn) any time at www.yourohiorabbi.com or e...

Are you Jewish and stressing over whether and/or how to have a Christmas tree in your house? Are you wondering if you would be the first Jew to ever do something so crazy? (Spoiler: no, you wouldn't.)  Tune in to this episode to chat with Rabbi LeighAnn about tips for making the Christmas Tree choice, alternatives and compromises that *could* make it work for you and your partner, and stories...

Bedeck the halls? Nah. Bedeck the BRIDE!  (But seriously, what the heck is a bedecken?) Chat with Rabbi LeighAnn about the Jewish custom of veiling the bride, one of the most underrated Jewish wedding customs! Don't forget - you can reach me (Rabbi LeighAnn) any time at www.yourohiorabbi.com or everyonesfavoriterabbi.com or rabbileighann.com ! Fill out the contact form there if you'd like to...

Abby filled me in on her Jewish-Anglican wedding ceremony planning for her upcoming celebration in August 2024 ka''h!  Abby is a political psychology maven, and her YouTube channel is full of really interesting discussion of everything Political Psych with a heavy side of snark. Go listen here:   https://www.youtube.com/@PoliticalPsychwithAbby Don't forget - you can reach me (Rabbi Leigh...

The wedding couple is treated like royalty on their wedding day - literally! If you didn't know about the custom of the Groom's Table and Bride's Throne in a Jewish wedding, you're not alone! These customs are usually seen as part of the more Orthodox-leaning weddings, but ANY couple can consider incorporating them. (It's VERY cool that we see similar wedding customs across many cultures.) As alwa...

Hear all about Estee and Ira's glitz-and-glam February 2022 wedding, featuring a mirrored gold chuppah, some reluctant circling, and a hilarious clergy team. Estee hosts the Bridetender Podcast, where you can hear all about the wedding industry straight from the vendors, and take advantage of all Estee's incredible wedding knowledge she's gained as a luxury planner with years in the biz. Tune in h...

You have the ketubah...now what's the plan for signing it? Where? When? How many people? Do we REALLY need a half hour to sign a document? Here’s everything you need to know about the ketubah signing ceremony. Part 1 - Safeguarding your ketubah (Yenta lecturing about ketubah safety timestamp: ~27:00)\ Part 2 - Logistics Part 3 - The Spiritual side Don't forget - you can reach me any time at www.yo...

You've decided to sign a ketubah! Yay!  So...how can you make it your own? As we learned in Episode 12, the Ketubah has some very antiquated origins, especially in terms of how it treats women. Plus, I assume the two of you won't be exchanging goats and dowries.  Here's how you can honor the spirit of the ketubah and uphold its original purpose, making it fit your contemporary values and...

Recorded on October 17, 2023 I really thought that the situation in Israel wasn't relevant to Jewish Weddings. But as I talked to some of my couples, past and present, I learned otherwise.  Full transcript here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TrGeiZAADKmbDcyYr08lh-epocZruMpFpPXTuT8pow0/edit?usp=sharing Don't forget - you can reach me any time at www.yourohiorabbi.com. Fill out the contac...

Rabbi LeighAnn reviews a brief history of the evolution of the ketubah, the Jewish Marriage Document, so couples can better understand the context when they are considering purchasing and signing one.  Don't forget - you can reach me any time at www.yourohiorabbi.com . Fill out the contact form there if you'd like to work with me on your wedding. IG: @yourohiorabbi Send questions for me to an...

The FIRST episode in our "A Jewish Wedding Story" series!  I sat down with my neighbor and friend Erin to chat about her interfaith-Jewish backyard wedding. Officiated by her husband John's brother, it was a beautiful mix of their values and beliefs, nestled within layers of Jewish wedding traditions.  During our chat, we covered:  - Jewish mom guilt! - Trying to find a rabbi! - The...

Looking for tips and tricks for combining your faith/culture's wedding traditions with those of your fiance/fiancee's? You've come to the right place. Let's think creatively - It will be beautiful. Don't forget - you can reach me any time at www.yourohiorabbi.com. Fill out the contact form there if you'd like to work with me on your wedding. IG: @yourohiorabbi Send questions for me to answer on th...