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

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