S2 EP9 | Hooo-paaah?? Demystifying the Jewish Wedding

Jewish weddings include some really interesting traditions. In this episode of A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, Carly and Ezra talk about their meanings, similarities and differences from what most of our audience may be familiar with. Among the things they discuss are:

Wedding attire, including why most grooms wear kippahs

Fasting before getting married

The Jewish tradition of bedeken, the veiling of the bride by her groom

The significance of the

The part in the ceremony when the bride circles the groom several times and what that means

The special marriage contract of a Jewish wedding

The concluding tradition of Jewish weddings, resulting in the shout of “Mazel Tov!”

Gifts in increments of $18? What’s that all about?

So, this is all cool, but how does it apply to Christian listeners?

Along the Way

As they talk about the fascinating meanings of Jewish wedding traditions, they bring out some other intriguing things, like:

The Owen Wilson image Ezra can’t get out of his mind when he thinks of Jewish weddings

Why a Jewish groom meets the bride halfway down the aisle

What Jericho has to do with Jewish weddings

The funny thing Ezra’s Israeli wife put in their Hebrew-written marriage contract

The difference between the Jewish marriage covenant and typical wedding vows

What some Jewish grooms forget in the wedding ceremony that leaves brides saying, “Um, hello?”

How Jewish letters and words have numeric values associated with them

A great reminder about one of the primary purposes of this podcast, for both Jewish and Christian listeners

How Jewish wedding traditions are so filled with meaning that Christians can relate to

What the traditional stomping of the glass by the groom has to do with the Temple

A false choice many people think they have to make – if they’re Jewish, from a Jewish background or are in a mixed relationship

A challenge to dig into the Scriptures and see if Jesus could be the unifying factor you never realized

Words You Might Learn in This Episode

Ashkenazi Jewish, kippah, yarmulke, chuppah, bedeken, tallit, Ani ledodi vedodi li, ketubah, mazel tov, chai, lechaim

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode

Matthew 19:5, Song of Solomon 2:16, Luke 22:20, Ezekiel 40–43, Revelation 11:1–2 and 9, Matthew 15:24, Isaiah 53:5–12, Psalm 16:10, John 4:42, 1 John 4:14, Ephesians 2:14

Previous Episodes Mentioned

S2 E1 – Jewish in America: What the Pew Survey Missed

S1 E40 – Staying Jewish: Love and Marriage

A1 E49 – Mixed Marriages: Love and Marriage

Other Important Stuff

May 2-8 is the 2022 Bless Israel 5K. Walk or run “with us” to show your support for Israel and the Jewish people in the 2nd annual Bless Israel Virtual 5K. Learn more on our website and register today!

Win Free Coffee. Enter our monthly drawing at www.ajewandagentilediscuss.org, and you could win a free bag of some of the finest Ethiopian coffee in the world from Lost Tribes Coffee Co.

Do you like what you hear? You know, the only way we can continue providing these engaging conversations is through listener support. So, if you like tuning in to A Jew and A Gentile Discuss, would you