Conversion 101

Published on May 8, 2013

Conversion to Judaism is not easy. It requires a change in beliefs, actions and lifestyle. It involves extensive study, practice, a leap of faith, a shift in perception and some sacrifice.

Over-the-top nuptials an Israeli specialty

Published on July 18, 2012

Born into a poor Moroccan immigrant family that settled in the development town of Dimona, Yardena Ovadia always dreamed of giving her daughter a fairy-tale wedding.

The unconventional dress

Published on May 15, 2012

After Talya Ilovitz (née Strauss) got engaged, the hunt for a dress for her Orthodox wedding felt endless. She never imagined her best option would be a sleeveless white cocktail dress a few sizes too big. But after searching widely, every other possibility was either too expensive or didn’t have sleeves.

Garden wedding in Israel

Published on March 14, 2012

When Miriam Sushman and her then-fiancé, Owen, were planning a summer wedding, they searched for an outdoor venue that would reflect their love of nature.

To each his own… Ketubah

By Anita K. Kantrowitz
Published on May 10, 2011

For Rabbi Mike Comins and his bride-to-be, Jody Porter, the decision to commission a custom ketubah was a no-brainer. Comins, who had advised many couples about matrimonial matters over the course of his career, firmly believed in the centrality of a ketubah to the covenant of marriage. Porter agreed, adding that “since a spiritual journey was part of our courtship, it was important for us to have this [a ketubah] be a part of our wedding.”

These bridal gowns are icing on the cake [SLIDESHOW]

Published on May 10, 2011

Israeli wedding dresses typically run the gamut from over-the-top ballroom showstoppers to gracefully minimalist renditions. While these three prominent Israeli designers showcase very different trends, they all appeal to the masses with their signature styles. From Victor Bellaish’s specialty boho-centric creations to Lihi Hod’s extra-romantic sheaths and Hila Gaon’s streamlined, modern garments, Israeli wedding design is inspired by the past and the present, by the local market and European craftsmanship — but, most significantly, by the brides themselves. With that said, expect some inventive and sassy designs (truly sabra). And take note, most Israeli wedding dress designers rent their dresses out per occasion (although there is always the option to buy, as is the custom in the United States and Europe).

Bringing more than one culture to the wedding table

Published on May 10, 2011

When Debbie Miller and her then-boyfriend, Ofer Valkurlker, decided to marry, they knew their wedding would be a fusion of East and West. Miller is American-born and Ashkenazi while Valkurlker, who is a member of the Bnei Menashe community, was born in India. Although the couple anticipated that cultural differences would influence their wedding plans, Miller was caught totally off guard when her fiancé, whose community is believed to be descended from one of the 10 lost tribes of Israel, insisted that every wedding invitation to his side of the family be delivered in person.

Living chuppah can serve as family heirloom

Published on December 12, 2008

Imagine standing under a beautiful, hand-embroidered chuppah that 25 years earlier your parents stood under as they became husband and wife. That is the legacy Los Angeles artist Robin Van Zak hopes to create every time she designs a one-of-a-kind heirloom lace bridal canopy.

Briefs: Big results and rewards at Big Sunday, Former Weiss deputy enters Fifth District race

Published on May 8, 2008

News Briefs

Couple stands under the chuppah—60 years on

By Jane Ulman
Published on April 10, 2008

"What is this chuppah? We didn't order it."

Maria Shvarts, 80, spotting the wedding canopy standing on the dance floor at West Hollywood's Cafe Troyka, asked the restaurant staff to remove it. She and her husband Boris, 84, were hosting a 60th anniversary party. Guests were arriving, and the chuppah -- obviously from a previous celebration, she thought -- was an obstruction.

Blending cultural traditions in the name of love

By Merissa Nathan Gerson
Published on June 7, 2007

Kirin and Babak might not seem like your ordinary Jewish couple. Kirin grew up Jewish in Anchorage, living the typical western American life. Babak was raised with the traditions of a large Persian Jewish family.

Same-sex unions roil Jews in former Soviet Union

By Vladimir Matveyev
Published on October 12, 2006

The resignation of a longtime leader of one of the largest Reform congregations in Ukraine has thrown the spotlight on a bitter controversy over homosexuality within the post-Soviet Reform movement.

When a couple divorces, the custody battle goes beyond dishes and children

By Wendy Jaffe
Published on October 5, 2006

Jews are not immune to America's divorce endemic.

Fight the Enemy by Being More Jewish

By David Suissa
Published on August 24, 2006

A great many of us are consumed by the nasty war of existence Israel has been fighting, by the international diplomatic backlash against the Jewish state, and by the renewed chutzpah of an enemy intent on destroying us. It is natural that we should do anything we can to help, whether through charitable donations, public demonstrations or even prayers at weddings. But in our zeal to do something, in our all-consuming anger at a cowardly and unjust enemy, it is easy to fall into a trap of putting other important things on hold, like our Jewishness.

When Just ‘I Do’ Just Won’t Do

By Pearl Salkin
Published on February 9, 2006

The traditional Jewish wedding ceremony as we know it has evolved over thousands of years. But suddenly, today, in what seems like a nanosecond out of all of recorded Jewish history, couples standing under the chuppah are seeking a whole new script.

New Chuppah Honors Terror Victim

By Carin Davis
Published on February 10, 2005

On the eve of her wedding, 20-year-old Naava Applebaum and her father, Dr. David Applebaum, the director of emergency medicine at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Center, sat at Jerusalem's Café Hillel. The two were celebrating her upcoming nuptials with a father-daughter talk. But Naava Applebaum never made it to her chuppah. That night, Sept. 9, 2003, she and her father's lives were taken by a terrorist's bomb.

Creative Chuppahs Are Labor of Love

By Donna Gordon Blankinship
Published on November 11, 2004

Nancy Goldov says the chuppah cost a few hundred dollars to make, but is now considered a priceless family heirloom. She is having a quilt made for their bed that mimics the design of the tree. Someday she may change the chuppah in some way to signify their children.

A Portrait of My Wedding

By Soriya Daniels
Published on November 13, 2003

After only two hours of sleep, I woke up on Aug. 13, 2000, to the sounds of drizzle hitting my hotel window. With a pit in my stomach, I got out of bed -- terrified and excited all at once. It was my wedding day, the culmination of three months of harried planning. I desperately wanted everything about this day to be perfect, to reflect the perfect love that Brad and I shared.

Writer’s Race to the Chuppah

By Naomi Pfefferman
Published on July 31, 2003

For his third slice of "Pie," Adam Herz upgraded to wedding cake because "I was hosting bachelor parties and going to like, 10 weddings a year."

My Very Own Chuppah

By Carin Davis
Published on February 7, 2002

Hold onto your son's baby blanket. Don't give away your daughter's cheerleading uniform. If they hold precious memories and deep meanings, you may be able to recycle them -- as part of your child's chuppah.

The Meaning of Marriage

By Rabbi Janet Ross Marder
Published on May 27, 1999

Late spring in Los Angeles: cool, foggy mornings, with sun breaking through around midday. The strawberries are sweet and luscious; the gardens are full of roses. It's the season of simchas. Our calendars are crowded with graduations and family parties, but most of all with weddings.

The World is More Than a Wedding

By Linda Feldman
Published on August 28, 1997

When my kids were still preschoolers,young enough to be influenced by my every word, I used to have this spiel about marrying out of Judaism. It went something like this:"It's an insult to the 6 million who died only because they were Jewish." I figured that you can't start early enough on the road to the chuppah. Now, both of my children are chuppah material. And I am spiel-less.