Understanding Jewish And Christian Wedding Rabbi

By Linda Davis


Weddings are important social occasions. Many people are brought together to witness the exchange of vows by a couple. Among the Jewish and Christian religious groups, weddings are held in very high regard and are seen as sacred events that need to be respected, hence the involvement of Jewish and Christian Wedding rabbi in these proceedings.

In the Jewish community, a rabbi is usually engaged in a number of different roles but is mainly regarded as a teacher and has a lot of knowledge on religious ceremonies. Since marriages are religious according to Jewish customs, there is need for one to conduct the whole ceremony. Basically, these ceremonies can never be complete without one of these religious representative.

On a typical wedding day, a number of customs and traditions are performed. The couple in Jewish tradition is likened to a king and queen, where the guests in attendance sing and dance around them to show their happiness for the union. During the ceremony the mothers of the bride and groom break a glass to signify the seriousness of this commitment. A marriage contract is also signed by the couple.

The rabbi is usually at the center of such important occasions, but his major role is that of presiding over the ceremony to ensure matters run smoothly and are done according to Jewish law and tradition. Another important function is blessing the couples union while reciting blessings to the bride on behalf of the groom when they get nervous in public. The exchange of rings is also done in presence of a priest.

In the Christian community, marriage is considered a holy matrimony that is instituted and ordained by God for the lifelong union between one man as husband and one woman as wife. Due to the holy nature of this union, it is mostly done in a church in the presence of a congregation which consists of friends and family of couples involved.

Though weddings among Christians do vary greatly due to the presence of many denominations among the Christian community, a few practices are common in most weddings. The ceremony is usually conducted in a church, presided over by a priest. The bride and groom exchange vows in public and declare their commitment to one another, usually followed by a lot of singing and dancing.

A Christian rabbi is heavily involved in the proceedings of wedding ceremonies. Their primary role is to preside over the function, by reading sermons on topic of marriage. He also emphasizes on the importance of marriage as an institution to the whole congregation in attendance. He or she also recites the vows to the groom and bride, blesses the union while overseeing the exchange of rings.

There has been an increase in the number of weddings among Jews and Christians. This has brought together both communities allowing them to exchange and assimilate rituals and traditions from either side such as seeking the congregations consent among Christians. There are also common rituals shared by both faiths such as the exchange of vows, the pronouncements from a priest.




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