Wedding Blog: BD**2 -1 (Part 2A)
Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:16 am
An addendum: someone has mentioned that with a rabbi presiding and the presence of a chuppah and ketubah, Judaism may be the "shared faith" of the happy couple. Allow me to explain. The rabbi was a fallback position. FSIL had tried to obtain the services of an armed forces chaplain, but had not managed to find anyone who could or would come out to officiate. The rabbi has been acquainted with our family for a number of years, and was willing to do a mixed-religion marriage as long as Jesus was not mentioned specifically. The ceremony did have some Jewish parts, but also included a quote from Kahlil Gibran and ended with an Apache wedding blessing.
I honestly don't know where the idea of having a chuppah came from. The ketubah idea probably came from BD's liking of the traditional Jewish wedding statement which is on our bedroom wall (a calligraphic rendering of the English translation which I had made for an early anniversary; not me personally - I found a calligrapher to do it). Transliterated, it's ah-nee l'doe-dee, v'doe-dee lee. It means "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." I have seen some beautiful rings, pendants and bracelets made with the Hebrew lettering. There's more to it, but part of a Jewish couple's spoken wedding vows includes that statement to each other. BD has seen that in our room since forever (for her), and got hooked during the wedding planning when she saw the beautiful ketubim (transliterated Hebrew plural of ketubah) which were available.
We have done very little to bring up either child in a particular religion. I am Jewish, but not overly religious. I celebrate the High Holidays, attending the services with my mother. As a family, we celebrate Passover seders with our extended family (cousins, aunts and uncles, etc.). We light the menorah candles for Hanukah. The kids know the stories behind the holidays and celebrations, and some Jewish history. That's about it. GW is Christian, having been brought up Presbyterian, but she has not attended a Sunday service of any particular faith in years. We celebrate Christmas with decorations and gifts, and Easter with a basket full of fake grass, chocolate and Peeps. The kids know the basics about Christianity in general. Again, that's about it.
I'm not sure if HS is an atheist or simply an agnostic. He's very scientifically minded, so faith is a bit hard to come by for him. BD apparently is drawn to the traditions of Judaism, much as GW is drawn to the traditions and ceremony in several different versions of Christianity. I don't know if she plans to raise her children in any specific religion, or if she has even discussed it yet with FSIL. He is Christian much as GW is, with what appears to be the same level of observance. Neither he nor his parents objected to the rabbi officiating (we asked first). The chuppah and ketubah may have been a surprise, but neither said anything to us.
I honestly don't know where the idea of having a chuppah came from. The ketubah idea probably came from BD's liking of the traditional Jewish wedding statement which is on our bedroom wall (a calligraphic rendering of the English translation which I had made for an early anniversary; not me personally - I found a calligrapher to do it). Transliterated, it's ah-nee l'doe-dee, v'doe-dee lee. It means "I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine." I have seen some beautiful rings, pendants and bracelets made with the Hebrew lettering. There's more to it, but part of a Jewish couple's spoken wedding vows includes that statement to each other. BD has seen that in our room since forever (for her), and got hooked during the wedding planning when she saw the beautiful ketubim (transliterated Hebrew plural of ketubah) which were available.
We have done very little to bring up either child in a particular religion. I am Jewish, but not overly religious. I celebrate the High Holidays, attending the services with my mother. As a family, we celebrate Passover seders with our extended family (cousins, aunts and uncles, etc.). We light the menorah candles for Hanukah. The kids know the stories behind the holidays and celebrations, and some Jewish history. That's about it. GW is Christian, having been brought up Presbyterian, but she has not attended a Sunday service of any particular faith in years. We celebrate Christmas with decorations and gifts, and Easter with a basket full of fake grass, chocolate and Peeps. The kids know the basics about Christianity in general. Again, that's about it.
I'm not sure if HS is an atheist or simply an agnostic. He's very scientifically minded, so faith is a bit hard to come by for him. BD apparently is drawn to the traditions of Judaism, much as GW is drawn to the traditions and ceremony in several different versions of Christianity. I don't know if she plans to raise her children in any specific religion, or if she has even discussed it yet with FSIL. He is Christian much as GW is, with what appears to be the same level of observance. Neither he nor his parents objected to the rabbi officiating (we asked first). The chuppah and ketubah may have been a surprise, but neither said anything to us.