Michal Cohen

and
Joseph Finegold
In Holy Matrimony
15 Iyar, 5768
May 15th, 2008

I Am My Beloved’s
And My Beloved Is Mine
Song Of Solomon 6:3

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Parents of the Bride: Michael and Esther Cohen

Parents of the Groom: Aaron and Judith Finegold

Officiant : Rabbi Kenneth Gibbs

Maid of Honor : Diana Levin
Best Man: Isaac Rosen

Music: Cynthiana Goldstein

Shofar Blower: Ariel Berkman

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 Breaking of the Glass
A traditional end to a Jewish wedding that serves as a reminder of the fragility of
life even during the most joyous celebrations and also reminds us of the destruction of
the Temple in Jerusalem.

Please stand.

Siman Tov v’ Mazel Tov

A song of joy and a good future together!

The Priestly Blessing—Numbers 24:6

May the Lord bless you, and keep you;
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you;
May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.

Declaration and
Presentation of the Bride and Groom

Mr. And Mrs. Joseph Finegold

Recessional: Wedding March

by Felix Mendelssohn

Cheder Yichud—The Bridal Chamber

A brief period of "Private Seclusion" in the Bridal Chamber for the bride and groom to
absorb the events of the ceremony where they spend their first moments alone together as
husband and wife.

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 Havdalah—Distinction The Wedding Ceremony
Havdalah, literally means 'separation' - a ceremony involving a special multi-wicked candle,
wine and spices that marks the ending of Shabbat. Blowing the Shofar—The Ram’s Horn Trumpet
In Biblical times the shofar was blown to announce important events,
The Blessing of the Cup once again reminds of the creative power of the Master’s hands.
such as a call to worship, a wedding, the alarm of war or the coming of peace.
Because of the Joy of this wedding and the joy of Shabbat we allow our cup to overflow as
a symbol of the abundant life and the fruit of the Spirit given to us as gifts. The shofar was sounded during the greatest event in all Jewish history,
the giving of the Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai.
Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu melech ha-olam, borei p'riy ha-gafen. The blowing of the Shofar will also be used to proclaim
the coronation of the King Messiah the Son of David.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine. Today, Michal, the bride is a queen, and the groom, Terry is a king.

Spices Please stand

The second blessing is recited over fragrant spices. These spices represent the spices used for
the altar of incense in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. It was spices that were offered as Hatikvah
gifts to the Messiah King. In ancient times spices are used to prepare the body for burial. The Hope– Israel’s National Anthem
This is God’s version of “aromatherapy”.
As long as the Jewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart,
With eyes turned toward the East, looking toward Zion,
Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu melech ha-olam, borei minei b'samim.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who creates varieties of spices. Then our hope - the two-thousand-year-old hope - will not be lost:
To be a free people in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem.
Fire
The third blessing is recited over the special, multi-wicked Havdalah candle.
The Procession of the Torah—The Word of G-d
Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu melech ha-olam, borei m'orei ha-aish
This unique feature of this very special day is a statement that the Torah,
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who creates the light of the fire.
the Word of G-d should lead the way in any marriage.
Havdalah We find in the words of this holy book the instructions for life.
Baruch atah Adonai Elohaynu melech ha-olam, ha-mavdil bayn kodesh l'chol, The Torah is G-d’s Covenant or Marriage Contract to the people of Israel.

Please be seated.
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who distinguishes between the
sacred and the secular, between light and darkness, between Israel and the nations,
between the seventh day and the six days of labor.
The Procession of the Wedding Party
Sabbath Prayer
Blessed are You, Lord, who distinguishes between the sacred and the secular.
The position of the bride on the right side of the groom
is based on an interpretation of verse in Psalms 45:10;
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 Encircling of the Groom The Exchanging of the Rings
Sunrise Sunset
In Biblical times the groom would provide the bride’s family a “Bride Price”.
The bride circles her beloved seven times, taken from Jeremiah 31:22,
This indicated that the woman had value and that the groom was able to provide for her.
"a woman shall compass ( revolve around, surround ) a man."
Today the wedding ring serves the same purpose and is a token of the marriage covenant.
Seven is significant be cause of its scriptural
Throughout the Bible various tokens are mentioned when covenants were made.
reference of perfection and completion.
The Lord made a covenant with Noah and provided a rainbow as a token.
Circumcision is a token of the covenant that G-d made with Abraham.
Badecken—Unveiling
The custom of unveiling the bride is traditionally explained by the reference in Genesis 24:65, The groom states;
"Rebecca took her veil and covered herself" upon her first meeting Isaac. Harey at
The purpose of the unveiling to the Biblical story of Jacob and his wives, Leah and Rachel. Me-ku-de-shet li
After working seven years for permission to marry Rachel, Jacob was B'taba'at Zo
unaware he was marrying the older sister Leah, instead of Rachel K'dat Moshe,
( Genesis 29:25 ). v’K'dat Moshiach
To avoid such a mishap, the groom "checks" to be sure that it is,
indeed, his bride, before her veil is again lowered over her face. “Behold, you are consecrated unto me with this ring,
according to the law of Moses, and the law of Messiah,
and with this ring I do thee wed.”
Entrance under the Chuppah
“How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob!
Your dwelling places, O Israel!”
– Numbers 24:5

The wedding canopy is symbolic of the marriage coming under the holy covering of G-d. The bride states:
The chuppah also represents the home the bride and groom will build together. Harey ata
The "chuppah" may also represent the home of Abraham and serve as a reminder that Me-kudesh li
he was a foreigner in a strange land, looking for the place God had promised to him. B'taba'at Zo
K'dat Moshe
The sides are open to show that friends and family are always welcome.
v’K'dat Moshiach
In Biblical times, Jewish weddings were comprised of two separate components;
“Behold, you are consecrated unto me with this ring,
the betrothal ceremony and the actual wedding ceremony.
according to the law of Moses, and the law of Messiah,
These two ceremonies usually took place about a year apart.
and with this ring I do thee wed.”
The bride lived apart from the groom until the actual marriage ceremony, which would take
place in a tent or a bridal chamber that the groom had set up for her.

Later in history, the two ceremonies were combined and the marriage ceremony started to be
performed publicly. At this new ceremony, the chuppah, or the portable marriage canopy, was
included as a symbol of the chamber within which marriages originally took place.
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 The Wedding Vows The Ketubah
The Written Torah is G-d’s Ketubah ( Covenant Contract ) to the People of Israel.
The Ketubah is a pre-nuptial marriage covenant that has replaced the ancient Bride Price.
My Dearest Terry, This covenant and marriage is only valid when signed by the presence of two witnesses.
The rabbis in ancient times insisted that the marriage couple entered into the Ketubah
Today not only do I pledge my love to you, to honor and to cherish you’ but I as an assurance for the wife’s well being during the first stage of the engagement.
pledge before our G-d and family and friends, to walk with you, beside you, holding Michal and Joseph have written their Ketubah based on love and spiritual
you close every step of the way. I have waited for 22 yrs for this moment knowing in commitment instead of material things. A relationship centered on G-d, love and
my heart that you were the one. I promise to be your true companion and best friend, mutual respect for each other will last longer than any man-made contract.
always there to share your hopes and dreams. Spending each and every day with
you to share our laughter and our tears, and today in the presence of these witnesses
I promise to be there; for better or worse, in sickness and in health, to love you with
all my heart, standing with you in good times and bad every step of the way.
I invite G-d to be in the center of this union, and I thank Him from the bottom of The same God who made the heavens and the earth, the sun, the moon and the stars, the
creatures of the earth, the sea and the air; made us and brought us together to be joined as one.
my heart that He has blessed us with the rest of our lives together. It is an honor to
take you as my husband.
And each said to the other, “You are the one who completes me; the one who God created to
- Michal be my soul mate. We are joining our lives and our hearts together on this day and vowing to be
faithful and love one another, until death parts us for a time.”
My Dearest Michal,
And each said to the other, “I promise to respect and honor you, to listen when you speak
From the first time I saw you, the fond memories have never left my heart. God has and value what you say. I promise to cherish and support you in every circumstance of life and
brought us back together and I feel truly blessed. I have the deepest respect and be true to the vows we make.”
admiration for your beautiful heart, that is filled with the fruitfulness of a loving spirit.
I am so proud to have you as my wife, and my life companion, to explore this world On this 5th day of the Month of Iyar, in the year 5768, corresponding to the 10th day of the
till the end of our lives. I will cherish each day that we awaken next to each other. month of May, in the year 2008, in the City of Franklin, in the State of Tennessee,
the Bride Michal Beth Kern, and the Groom, Joseph Lee Losawyer,
I dedicate my love to you with all the joys, sorrows, and challenges ahead that our
have been joined together in the Holy Covenant of Marriage
journey together brings. I have this feeling we will have the time of our lives.
according to the Law of God and the Laws of Man.
I love you. They are now declared to be “One Flesh” and
- Terry husband and wife in the eyes of God and Man.

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 The Seven Betrothal Blessings Kiddush—Sanctification
The Blessing of the Cup
1. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, the sovereign of the world,
who created everything for his glory. It is the “Fruit of the Vine” that is a symbol of G-d’s creation.
God created mankind from the dust of the earth by his creative power.
2. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, the sovereign of the world, The first miracle of the Master’s hands occurred at a Jewish wedding when the
the creator of mankind. Holy One, Blessed be He, transformed water into wine.

3. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, the sovereign of the world, who created man in
His image, in the pattern of His own likeness, and provided for the perpetuation Lighting of the Seven Branch Menorah
of His kind. Blessed are You, Lord, the creator of mankind. The menorah is a seven branched candelabrum and has been a symbol of Judaism for
over 3000 years. It is also a symbol of the burning bush as seen by Moses on Mount
4. Let the barren city be jubilantly happy and joyful at her joyous reunion with her Horeb (Exodus 3:2 ). Great care was taken to replenish the oil , trim the wicks and keep it
children. Blessed are You, Lord, who makes Zion rejoice with her children. lit by the priests in the Tabernacle and in the Temple in Jerusalem.
It also reminds us of an ancient story of the ten virgins waiting for their groom.
5. Let the loving couple be very happy, just as You made Your creation When the groom came for his bride, some were ready and some were not.
happy in the garden of Eden, so long ago. According to Zechariah, two “anointed ones” continuously
Blessed are You, Lord, who makes the bridegroom and the bride happy. replenished the holy menorah with the fresh oil from the two olive trees.
The central light is known to represent the Shamash or Servant.
6. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, the sovereign of the world, who created joy and By lighting the menorah, Lauren and Terry are prepared and willing to serve
celebration, bridegroom and bride, rejoicing, jubilation, pleasure and delight, love one another in order to keep the fire of their relationship burning.
and brotherhood, peace and friendship. Marriage is like a fire, it goes out if left unattended.
May their light always shine just as the eternal light shines in the heavens.
May there soon be heard, Lord our G-d, in the cities of Judea and in the
streets of Jerusalem, the sound of joy and the sound of celebration, the
voice of a bridegroom and the voice of a bride, the happy shouting of bride
The Drashah—The Message
grooms from their weddings and of young men from their feasts of song.
Blessed are You, Lord, who makes the bridegroom and the bride rejoice together. Exchanging of the Vows
7. Blessed are You, Lord our G-d, the sovereign of the universe, “I will betroth you to me forever, in righteousness, in love and compassion.
Creator of the fruit of the vine. I betroth you in faithfulness.”
—Hosea 2:19-20

Wedding vows are a personal commitment and covenant of one person to the other.
Lauren and Terry have written their own covenant of commitment.

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