Your wedding is a very important milestone in your life, and we would be thrilled to help you celebrate your simhah at Beth Tzedec.

You do not have to be a member of Beth Tzedec to be married at the Synagogue, but both partners must be Jewish. If either partner has previously been married to a Jew and the marriage ended in divorce, the partner must present proof that the marriage was ended with a get (a Jewish divorce) as well as with a civil divorce. If you have not yet given or received a get for a previous marriage, one of our rabbis can help you with that process.

Choosing a Date

A Jewish wedding may not take place on Shabbat (from an hour before sundown on Friday until an hour after sundown on Saturday) or on a major Jewish holiday (same restriction). Weddings may not take place during the three weeks before Tisha B’Av, the Ninth of Av, which usually falls in late July or early August. There are also restrictions during the seven weeks known as Sefirah, between Passover and Shavuot. If you have any question about whether a wedding is permissible on the date you have in mind, please consult with one of the rabbis.

Officiants

A member of the Beth Tzedec clergy may serve as m’sader(et) kedushin (the officiant) at your wedding, or you may have another rabbi or cantor officiate or co-officiate. If you would like a Beth Tzedec rabbi to officiate at your wedding, please contact Nicole Leybman to arrange an appointment at least three weeks before your date. 

If you would like a non-Beth Tzedec rabbi or cantor to participate in your ceremony, please have that person contact Rabbi Steven Wernick well in advance of your wedding, indicating that s/he has been asked to officiate. Rabbi Wernick must extend an invitation to your rabbi and/or cantor in order for them to officiate.

Clergy Officiating at Weddings Held Outside the Synagogue

As a Conservative congregation committed to Jewish law and tradition, the clergy of Beth Tzedec believe that kashrut is an essential value and core mitzvah of our community.

We also recognize that we have congregants who, for various reasons, plan weddings where kashrut, under formal supervision, is not observed.

Balancing our traditional values and practices with the reality of many contemporary wedding receptions, the Beth Tzedec clergy have developed new guidelines with respect to officiating at weddings not taking place in the synagogue. These guidelines will better enable our klei kodesh to serve our membership at a most joyful moment of their lives, thereby continuing to build the relationship between congregation, clergy and Jewish life.

The klei kodesh of Beth Tzedec have collectively agreed that for wedding ceremonies not taking place at the synagogue, the Rabbis, Cantors and other ritual staff may officiate, even if the entire reception is not kosher, subject to a number of considerations. The Board of Governors has accepted their common decision.

The first preference is for the entire reception to be kosher.

If not, the following alternatives are presented in preferred order. In all these alternatives, all food served must conform to biblical standards of kashrut (i.e. no pork or shellfish and no mixing of meat and dairy) and response cards must indicate that a hekhshered (kosher certified) meal option is available.

The clergy may also be available to officiate if:

• the meal following the ceremony uses kosher meat and non-dairy products, but is not under kosher supervision; or
• the meal following the ceremony is dairy, permitted fish or vegetarian; or
• appetizers following the ceremony are kosher; or
• the bride and groom share a hekhshered (kosher certified) meal with officiants following the ceremony.

Beth Tzedec clergy is available to assist you with menu planning and help you stay within the parameters above.

Music

Music for the ceremony should be appropriate for a Jewish religious occasion. Our cantors are available to consult with you on choices of musical style (Hassidic/Israeli/classical) and arrangements. There is a grand piano available for use in the Sanctuary or the Hendeles Chapel. If you wish to have other instruments or instrumentalists, you must arrange for their participation with one of the cantors.

Venue

At the Synagogue, wedding ceremonies may take place either in the Sanctuary or in the Hendeles Chapel. You may use the Beth Tzedec huppah (wedding canopy), or you may bring in a huppah. If your huppah will require any setting up, please make arrangements with Karen Goldstein.

Reception and Catering

A booking with the clergy or the caterer does not guarantee reception space at the Synagogue. Please contact Karen Goldstein to book and arrange details for your reception. 

Our exclusive caterer, Apex Kosher Catering, will be happy to work with you on your menu, table decor and other aspects of your party. For all catering inquires, please contact 416-901-5044.