Clever Cake...

I wish I knew more about this baker... but I know nothing!

But this is certainly a wedding cake which keeps the JEWISH in Jewish Wedding.

From Shacking up to Blessed Union

This print is from the late artist Shalom of Safed or Shalom Moskovitz. We see Isaac holding a key leads his new wife Rebecca to their home. They are followed by Abraham, Eliezer and an entourage of followers. Note that while the male figures are dressed in some facsimile of eastern garb, Rebecca could have stepped out directly from the shtetl. The row of olive trees at the painting's bottom represents the couple's future children and their legacy of longevity and fecundity. Today's posting is from Holly J. Lebowitz. She discusses on making her home, a Jewish home and her marriage, a Jewish one.

I was in a taxicab the other day, and somehow it came up that I was a newlywed. The driver got very excited and launched into an impassioned monologue about how wonderful marriage is. His broken English put it simply:
"If you're not married, you're bad."

Well, I responded when he paused, it's not that you're bad if you're not married; it's just that your life is different.

In a way, this was a surprising answer from me, since I'd dated my now-husband for seven years and lived with him for two before we married last October. The door we walked through as newlyweds led into the same home that it had led into when we were just boyfriend-girlfriend, we kept our jobs, and professionally I've kept my name.

But what we've discovered is that the things that change between a two people when they get married are ineffable. Inadequately put, changes include the tiny thrill of referring to "my husband," the look of joyful amazement that we shared on our wedding day, the things we say to each other as we fall asleep.

The physical trappings of our life together, and much of the emotional content of our relationship, were things that we didn't want to change--this was precisely why we'd decided to get married. We looked to our wedding day as a celebration of our love as it was.

But as we planned our ceremony and reception, we wondered, how could we imbue separateness into something that we wanted to celebrate?


The last place we'd expected to find an answer was in traditional Judaism. What we found, oddly for our unobservant Reform selves, was that the traditional elements of a Jewish wedding ceremony are rich with ways of celebrating invisible changes.


Mikveh: Purifying Waters
The first thing I did was decide to visit the mikveh, or ritual bath, before the wedding. In preparation, I spent a few afternoons with the "mikveh lady," who instructed me in the Jewish laws of family purity and encouraged me to make mikveh a regular part of our marriage.
In the course of our discussions, she said, "You spend the time that you're dating putting bricks together, building the foundation of your relationship." For me, that was seven years' worth of bricks, with all the accompanying struggles and triumphs. When you marry, though, she said, "then you put in the mortar to hold the bricks together. Without the mortar, all you have is a pile of bricks. Which is fine, but it's not a permanent, sturdy home."
Slipping beneath the waters of the ritual bath, warm and scrubbed clean, I felt the beginnings of a separation--that there was a before period and soon there would be an after period. I was about to become married.

Havdalah: Sweet Separation
Our wedding was on a Saturday night, the end of the Jewish Sabbath. In a small room before the ceremony, we held a brief service in which we essentially got married. The larger ceremony would be a public affirmation of what we'd just committed to.
Before we could proceed, though, we had to separate the Sabbath, which ends at sunset, from the rest of the week. This is done through a ceremony called havdalah, in which a three-wicked candle is lit and a bag of spices is passed around to smell. The rabbi pointed out that just as we were separating the Sabbath from the rest of the week, we were separating single life from married life. The scent of sweet spices lingered, a reminder of what we'd just left.

Veiling: Bridal Transformation
After we signed the ketubah, or marriage contract, the groom placed the veil over my face. This tradition is rooted in Genesis--in which Jacob married the wrong sister because she was veiled before their wedding. It was at the moment when Rob lowered the veil over me--not when I put on my bridal gown, or saw Rob for the first time, or even signed the ketubah--that I felt transformed into a bride. Looking at my dearest friends and family through the hazy gauze of my veil completed my internal bridal picture.

Circling: A Nascent Family
At the beginning of the ceremony, the bride traditionally circles the groom seven times, a mystical number. This signifies many things, among which is the fact that the couple is now their own family, separate from--though obviously still connected to--the families that reared them. Rob and I decided that we'd circle each other three times, equalizing this spiritual creation of our new family. Of course I had loved Rob for many years, but not until that moment was he my family, nor was I his.

Chuppah: An Open Home
A Jewish couple publicly celebrates their marriage under a chuppah--a canopy that's open on all four sides but covered on top. Many couples have outdoor weddings with a chuppah made of a prayer shawl. Ours was draped in light fabric and ribbons of flowers. The rabbi explained that the chuppah is a symbol of the Jewish home--it's permeable, open on all sides to the joys and travails of life, but we're protected by its roof.

For us, it seemed the perfect symbol. We already had a home, had shared one for two years, but the act of getting married elevated our home to a new, sanctified plane. Sealed with mortar. Different.

Blowing for a Miracle

The Shofar from Shuki Freiman is to be sounded in the synagogue not simply displayed at home. This silver shofar is cut out and engraved with the Hebrew verse: "Sound the shofar at the new moon, at the full moon on our festival."
The drash below is from InnerNet:

"Why do we blow [the shofar] on Rosh Hashanah?" the Talmud asks. In answer, the Talmud exclaims indignantly, "Why do we blow? - the Torah has told us to blow!"

What better reason, what further rationale do we need? The Torah clearly states (Numbers 29:1): "In the seventh month, on [day] one of the month, a day of [shofar] blowing shall it be unto you." Indeed, according to Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, the primary intent upon which one should concentrate during the sounding of the shofar is to fulfill the will of the Creator.

That Israel needs no rationale other than "the Torah has told us to blow," is illustrated with a story told about the renowned chassidic Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev:

One year Rabbi Levi Yitzchak spent a long time in search of a man who would be worthy of blowing the shofar in his synagogue. Rosh Hashanah was fast approaching, and though many righteous folk sought the privilege, vying with each other in demonstrating their expertise in the mystical kabbalistic secrets associated with the shofar, none of them were to his taste.

One day a new applicant came along, and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak asked him on what deep mysteries he meditated while he was performing the awesome mitzvah.

"Rabbi," said the newcomer, "I'm only a simple Jew. I don't understand too much about the hidden things of the Torah. But I have four daughters of marriageable age, and when I blow the shofar, this is what I have in mind: 'Master of the universe! Right now I am carrying out Your will. I'm doing Your mitzvah and blowing the shofar. Now supposing You, too, do what I want, and help me marry off my daugters.'"

"My friend," said Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, "you will blow the shofar in my synagogue!"

Quiz Time- from Dixie

The primary foundation of Jewish life is:
a) The synagogue
b) the school
c) the home.
If you guessed "the home," you’d be right. But an even better answer might be one’s wife. Indeed, the Talmud (Tractate Yuma) echoes this sentiment, saying, "Ishto zo bayto — a man’s home is his wife." With rare exception, our primary Jewish values — perhaps all our values — originate in our home, and it is the wife who sets the tone, and is the principal architect and guardian of that home.

And so this week’s Torah portion begins by warning us not to marry solely for looks or exterior considerations. Doing so will bring dissension in the house, and ultimately lead to children who rebel against the values we cherish. Successful marriage is based upon shared goals and outlooks, combined with an intense desire to help our partner excel in every facet of life.

This theme of building a solid marriage — and ending a failed one — is reflected over and again in this week’s Torah portion. Let’s focus on just one verse: We are told (Deuteronomy 24:5) that a newly married man is exempt from army service for one year, "vsimach et ishto — in order to rejoice with his wife."

Rashi, the preeminent Torah commentator, translates "vsimach" as meaning that a man is obligated to make his wife happy, particularly during their first year together. Rashi disagrees with the Targum, who says the mitzvah is for the man to be happy with one’s wife, for if this was the meaning of the verse, it would have read "vsamach," and not "vsimach."

But Rabbi Yochanan Zweig, the dean of the Talmudic University of Florida, beautifully reconciles the explanations of both Rashi and the Targum. Says Rabbi Zweig: What is the key to a man being happy with his wife? It is doing everything in his power to make her happy, to meet her every need, to shower her with love and care, to sublimate his own agenda in order to elevate her, and see to it that she always feels fulfilled and appreciated.

There is a deeper, more complete and lasting joy that emanates from giving, as opposed to receiving. And the ultimate person to whom we can give — and thus the source of our greatest joy — is our spouse, who is the repository of all our deepest emotions and feelings.

Having just returned from several weeks away from home, I can truly relate to the thrill derived from bringing happiness to your wife. Giving really can be the grandest form of getting.

Henryk Winograd is the greatest living master of traditional silversmithing techniques in the world today. Mr. Winograd uses the art of repousse. Each piece is designed by hammering in reverse pure silver sheets (.999) into detail crafted molds. The delicacy of the detail of his work is superb and the quality of the execution is breathtaking. Henryk Winograd is in his eighties now.

The tallit that binds

It is very common among traditional Jews to use a tallit for the chuppah... but I love what Chai Chuppah has done with THEIR tallit chuppah.



When you both marry for a second time, and you and your groom bring five children together in a new family, it's tricky to figure out how to include them all in your ceremony. This chuppah is made of interwoven tallitot, belonging to various members of the new family. We carefully basted them to a background of see-through netting, so that none of the tallitot would be harmed and so that the chuppah could be taken apart after the wedding and the tallitot returned to their owners.

Can't you imagine buying new tallit for the children brought together for this union and having them sewn together bringing individuals together into a family!

Shabbat Shalom (oh! and by the way, I am moving in to my new home today).

You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Love JDate

Here is an article from the New York Times about J-date... only some of the players want to date without being a J. The number of non-Jews on the site is difficult to estimate: 50,000 of its 600,000 members identify themselves as religiously "unaffiliated," but they include Jewish members who don't want to identify themselves as "secular" or with any particular sect. But interviews with people who use JDate suggest that gentiles have become an increasingly visible presence in recent years (full disclosure: this reporter is one of them) on a site that was designed to promote mating within the tribe.


Ester Shahaf, a graduate of Tel Aviv University in theater and costume design is the talented artist who created these candlesticks. A perfect gift for a pair of newly weds so they can have the first of many Shabbat Shaloms!

Shopping for him

"Shopping for him" can have at least two meanings. I found some interesing information about some religious Jews who are not sure exactly what the going price for a good groom is! Take a look at this article.


When it comes to wedding attire, one automatically thinks of the bride and her many, many choices of wedding gown. But what about the groom? He deserves something special to help remember the big day (and he can wear his again!). How about a special kippah just for the groom. This Bukharan kippah from Edna Sandler is made of Ivory White Jacquard fabric.

A blessing on your head!

Being married is a blessing. Being married to the right person is a miracle! Somehow or another millions of people manage to form unions which are of the miraculous variety. For others they kiss many of frogs and still do not find their prince(ss).
That is where places like J-Date come into play. J-Date, for those of you who may be living with your head in the sand is an internet dating site for Jewish boys and girls who want to meet each other and make a shiddach!

As in most endeavors, success at Internet dating is often the result of knowledge, energy, and attitude. But even with a great approach, luck and timing are sometimes what make the difference. After all that work, you just might find your soul mate while casually browsing profiles at 9 a.m. on a Saturday.

For one single guy in New York City, that’s exactly what happened.

“I was going through profiles and looking for someone more alternative and artsy,” Dave says of his Saturday morning surf on JDate. “One definitely jumped out; very ‘Amelie’-esque. I thought, ‘Ah, I’ll bookmark that…’”

Sara’s charming photo showed her in a photo booth blowing bubbles. Sara says she was “looking for someone who was in touch with his Jewish side and who had Jewish values, but was hip and creative.

Little did she know, her well-chosen profile picture had attracted the attention of just such a fellow. And he immediately contacted her. Find more about their story here...



These stunning kippot come from the website of Nicole Curl and Jan Marie Lanier who are the owners and artists for Silk Bijoux. Who would have thought it? Not only can you meet the love of your life, but you can also find the loveliest of kippot all on the internet! G'd is a miracle worker!!!

Wedding Kippah

I have to confess that I find those complementary satin wedding kippot that are handed out kind of tacky (BANG- that was the sound of many blog readers turning off their computers). They are cost effictive, but I just don;t like them. Personal taste.

What I do like are these from Bonnie Yales. They are unique and colorful and personal. While certaily not cheap... your guest would leave your wedding with a wonderful momento!

Going Dutch

Rav-hadassah is a blog I just found which is dealing with a Jewish wedding that will be taking place later this year in Amsterdam. It is fun to read... it helps that it is in English and some of the photos are quite pretty. The author has been accepted to the University of Judaism's Ziegler School of Rabbinics, a Conservative seminary in Los Angeles, California. Let's plan on following this wedding.

Here is the information about the Temple where the religious ceremony will be held.
The synagogue holds special significance for me. Built in 1764, to serve the Jewish proletariat of this part of Amsterdam, the shul was left deserted and neglected after the Second World War. Thankfully, it was recently renovated. Although officially property of the Amsterdam municipality, one can rent the synagogue for services, chuppot but also secular activities (chamber concerts, receptions and even civil weddings!). However, the significance for me is entirely different, and closer to the original intent: the Progressive community Beit ha'Chidush has reclaimed the use of the building as a house of Jewish worship. This is also the community where I set my first steps on my Jewish journey and I fell in love with the quiet and light atmosphere of the space. I knew I wanted to get married here: this shul where I sent my first, tentative Jewish prayers Heavenward.

This Op Fields Ketubah is from Rachel Deitsch of California. Maybe Rachel and our bride can meet up some day!

More on the Ketubah

Beautiful pieces of artwork revitalize a four hundred year old Jewish marriage contract tradition, the (ketubah). The ketubah document originated as protection for women against abandonment of their husbands. This ketubah Jewish marriage contract protected women from being discarded by their husbands with no provision for their financial welfare. The modern version of the ketubah has its roots in the Babylonian exile when the elders felt it was necessary to guarantee women legal rights of property and provision in the event that the husband was no longer present for reasons including divorce, desertion or death. The elders had foresight when they enumerated in the groom’s obligations to the bride since the financial consequences of divorce resulted in Jewish families remaining intact. With slight revisions that have occurred throughout the centuries, this ketubah marriage contract remains in use today and is referred to as the Traditional Aramaic. The Orthodox community uses this text exclusively and many other rabbis and couples choose it, as well, as this Aramaic text has stood the test of time. It is also the only Jewish marriage contract text that is recognized as legal in the state of Israel. In modern times the divorce rate has unfortunately risen so high, that the Conservative movement felt compelled to add another paragraph, referred to as the Lieberman Clause, to the Traditional Aramaic text. This states that, in the event of a divorce, the couple agrees to go before the Rabbinic Assembly and abide by their decision regarding the Jewish divorce. If either partner does not comply, they can be taken to a civil court for enforcement of the decree. In essence, the intention was to give the wife a civil remedy if the husband refused to give her a ‘get’ which is a Jewish divorce, an action that would prevent her from entering into another Jewish marriage in the future. The Reform, Reconstructionist, Humanist and unaffiliated members of the Jewish community often prefer to choose the wording for their marriage vows that they relate to personally. Many beautiful and poetic texts have been written to express what the couple’s hopes and expectations are as partners in marriage. Interfaith and Anniversary ketubot are also readily available as well as alternative texts for same gender unions. The history of illuminated ketubot from the many cities and cultures that Jews have abided in spans centuries, though this art form waned when the Jews were persecuted so viciously in Europe, there has been an amazing revival over the last decades. Now, many Judaic artists are inspired to create artwork to enhance the ketubah text. designs range from very traditional to abstract paintings with the ketubot text superimposed over the art.
Laya Crust is a Canadian Artist who was educated in North America as well as Israel. Upon perusing her portfolio I am amazed at the vast styles she displays. One would have to be pretty darn picky not to find something of Laya's to love!

And I will write this upon my heart...

A ketubah is a piece of art... like my husband and my ketubah it may be completely original, or it may be a print which the couple will personalize. All are art. All are beautiful.

I found a cute blog post from a bride who forgot that her Ketubah required a white pen in order for the signatures to be seen.

We were able to use regular pen... but I can guarantee that my husband spent a lot of time practicing his Hebrew script to ensure that it was written correctly. (And what is sweet is two of our witnesses ended up getting married about 2 years after our wedding).


Tamar Messer is a well-known and loved Israeli artist. The distinct, vivid colorful style of her work draws upon a spirit of vitality that speaks directly to the hearts of the young and young at heart

The Ketubah for A Committed Couple

I think once I passed puberty (it was the '70s so we were slow then), I realized that I had no issues with gay men and lesbians. Back then, my acceptance was an abstract concept since so few of my friends were out. That changed in college and of course after that.
Now I have a friend who is in a very serious relationship. Neither of them are young. I want them to get "married" or have a "commitment ceremony" (choose your language). Besides wanting to see them happy- I really want to buy them their ketubah. Here and here is some information on Jewish marriages for gay couples.

Daniel Sroka is an award-winning graphic designer and fine art photographer. His distinctive photography has appeared in a number of shows, and can be seen on his website Daniel Sroka Photography. You can find his observations on art and photography at blog.danielsroka.com. Daniel became a Ketubah designer after he and his bride were unable to find the perfect design. After photographing some roses in his own garden, Daniel and Cara found their ketubah... now you can too.

Behar-Bechukotai

Leviticus 25:1-27:34
On the mountain of Sinai, G-d communicates to Moses the laws of the sabbatical year: every seventh year, all work on the land should cease, and its produce becomes free for the taking for all, man and beast.

Seven sabbatical cycles are followed by a fiftieth year -- the jubilee year, on which work on the land ceases, all indentured servants are set free, and all ancestral estates in the Holy Land that have been sold revert to their original owners. Additional laws governing the sale of lands and the prohibitions against fraud and usury are also given.

G-d promises that if the people of Israel will keep His commandments, they will enjoy material prosperity and dwell secure in their homeland. But He also delivers a harsh "rebuke" warning of the exile, persecution and other evils that will befall them if they abandon their covenant with Him. Nevertheless, "Even when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away; nor will I ever abhor them, to destroy them and to break My covenant with them; for I am the L-rd their G-d."

This sidra brings us to the conclusion of the Book of Leviticus. The prominent feature of our portion is the tocheicha - a sevenfold series of warnings or reproofs, which are chanted in a subdued voice. After outlining the rewards for the observance of God's Torah (peace, prosperity, and agricultural overabundance), the consequences for disobedience (disease, famine, siege, conquest and exile) follow.

The rules regarding the valuation and redemption of voluntary pledges are found in this parasha. An individual could vow to donate the value of an animal, a plot of land, an edifice, himself/herself or another family member to the upkeep and maintenance of the Sanctuary. The procedure for doing so and for determining the value of the property or person are set forth.

Given the talk about agriculture, I can't help but think about the seven species... apparently NAOMI TEPLOW was thinking about them too when she created this wonderful ketubah.

Jewcy Ketubah

It is a busy, busy time for me. We are moving at the end of the month... lots to do. It's the last month of school. And then there is JCC baseball. And mother's day. Any way, I am going to stop blathering and link you to someone else's blog and you can read about ketubot there.
I am also going to post some pretty ketubot from the artist Stephanie Adler. Her Klimt-esque Ketubot are just great and she now has an ebay store.
Klimt, Ketubah and ebay... could be dangerous!

Jewish prenup

The ketubah is among history's first prenuptial agreements, protecting both parties and their families as they enter into this agreement. The Aramaic portions which appear in Orthodox wedding contracts contain legal information, including the grooms financial responsibilities to his wife.
On the ____ day of the week, the ____ day of the month ____ in the year ____ since the creation of the world, in the city of ____, ____ son of _____ said to this maiden ____ daughter of ____, "Be my wife according to the laws of Moses and Israel, and I will cherish, honor, support and maintain you in accordance with the custom of Jewish husbands who cherish, honor, support and maintain their wives faithfully. And I here present you with the settlement of two hundred silver zuzim, which belongs to you, according to the law of Moses and Israel, and I will also give you your food, clothing and necessities, and live with you as husband and wife according to the universal custom." And the maiden _____ consented and became his wife. The trousseau that she brought to him from her father's house, in silver, gold, valuables, clothing, furniture and bedclothes, all this _______, said bridegroom, accepted in the sum of one hundred silver zuzim, and _____, the bridegroom, agreed to increase this amount from his own property with the sum of one hundred silver zuzim, making in all two hundred silver zuzim.
And thus said ____, the bridegroom: "The responsibility of this marriage contract, of this trousseau, and of this additional sum, I take upon myself and my heirs after me, so that they shall be paid from the best part of my property and possessions that I have beneath the whole heaven, that which I now possess or that which I may hereafter acquire. All my property, real and personal, even the shirt from my back, shall be mortgaged to secure the payment of this marriage contract, of this trousseau and the addition made to it, during my lifetime and after my death, from the present day and forever." _____, the bridegroom, has taken upon himself the responsibility of this marriage contract, of the trousseau and of the addition made to it, according to the restrictive usages of all marriage contracts and the adjoins to them made for the daughters of Israel, according to the institutions of our sages of blessed memory. It is not to be regarded as a mere forfeiture without consideration or as a mere formula of a document.

At the urging of friends,Micah Parker began to create ketubot and other Judaic art. We are so luck that this Sarasota, Florida resident shares his art with us... and many married couples.

A Couple's Ketubah

Choosing your ketubah is a big deal. My husband and I were blessed by my dearest friend Naomi whose aunt is a Ketubah artist. Ours is completely an original piece of art- right down to the typographical errors. We met in part because I wanted to meet "a Jewish man who read books." A book was central to our ketubah. Along the borders of the two pages were pictures of things that were personal to us- our dog Synapse, medical and psychiatric symbols, country music, even a NY apple and a GA peach! The Ketubah hangs proudly in our home. I hope you will enjoy looking at Ketubot over the next several days.
Samara Enchin has been creating artwork since she could hold a crayon. Her passion for painting and creating other works of art led Samara to pursue a B.F.A. at York University in Toronto. After graduation, Samara moved to New York City where she worked in two museums. While she enjoyed making the art world more accessible to others, she missed engaging in her own artistic endeavours. The creation of a Ketubah for her brother in 1998 led Samara back to a serious pursuit of painting. In 2001 Samara moved to Boulder, Colorado, where the beauty of her surroundings inspired a number of artistic creations. It was here that she realized a career as an artist was not out of her reach. Samara currently resides in Toronto with her husband Jacob. She is painting and happy.

I saw you at Sinai

Looking for your bashert (soul-mate)? You’ve probably already seen him/her – at Sinai. When the Torah was delivered, every Jewish soul stood at Mt. Sinai with his or her soul-mate, according to the Midrash (Jewish commentaries). Now all you need is someone to reunite you. For more go to Jewish San Diego Journal and learn how many have found their mate.

Once you found your one true love, you will need to invite everyone to your wedding. The Ketubah Tree has designed some wonderful invitations- and they have thoughts of everything from soup to nuts (including the menu card). Below is the invitation from their Bashert collection. The one on the right has the vellum overlay in place. Lovely.

Next on our list....

Groom- CHECK. Ring- CHECK. Invitations?
I have shown you some absolutely wonderful wedding bands. We also need to consider invitations to our simcha, don't we? There is are a lot to show and here is today's beauty:

(Amit Yaffe is an) Israeli born artist living in Reisterstown, Maryland USA, with my husband and two sons. I have studied Graphic Design and Art at the WIZO- Hadassah Neri Bloomfield School of Design in Haifa, Israel, in 1981-1985.

After working as a graphic designer for several publishing houses in Israel for many years, I decided to work independently, and began to express myself through different media.
My artwork consists of decorative painting, murals, faux painting, hand-painted furniture, mosaics, watercolor prints/collages, invitations and greeting cards.I like to use watercolor, acrylic and collage techniques to create bright and colorful works of art.

My watercolor limited edition prints collection includes prints/collages embracing motifs, blessings, shapes, colors and symbols inspired by the Jewish tradition.
More recently, I have expanded my art product line to include unique invitations and announcements, greeting cards, contribution cards and other gift items for organizations, charities and individuals celebrating special family events and holidays.

By creating affordable paintings, prints, Ketubot, cards and invitations inspired by the rich Jewish heritage, I hope that anyone will be able to purchase, enjoy and appreciate the beauty of the Jewish tradition represented in my artwork.

THE SEVEN BLESSINGS

From "The New Jewish Wedding"~ By Anita Diamant ~


“We acknowledge the Unity of all within the sovereignty of God, expressing our appreciation for this wine, symbol and aid of our rejoicing.

We acknowledge the Unity of all within the sovereignty of God, realizing that each separate moment and every distinct object points to and shares in this oneness.

We acknowledge the Unity of all within the sovereignty of God, recognizing and appreciating the blessing of being human.

We acknowledge the Unity of all within the sovereignty of God, realizing the special gift of awareness that permits us to perceive this unity and the wonder we experience as a man and a woman joined to live together.

May rejoicing resound throughout the world as the homeless are given homes, persecution and oppression cease, and all people learn to live in peace with each other and in harmony with their environment.

From the Divine, source of all energy, we call forth an abundance of love to envelop this couple. May they be for each other lovers and friends, and may their love partake of the same innocence, purity, and sense of discovery that we imagine the first couple to have experienced.

We acknowledge the Unity of all within the sovereignty of God, and we highlight today joy and gladness, bridegroom and bride, delight and cheer, love and harmony, peace and companionship. May we all witness the day when the dominant sounds through the world will be these sounds of happiness, the voices of lovers, the sounds of feasting and singing.

Praised is love; blessed be this marriage. May the bride and bridegroom rejoice together."

Sarit Wolfus is the creative spirit behind this crowning glory of a ring.