Wedding Officiation
If you have come to this page because you are looking for a wedding officiant, I wish you mazal tov on your engagement! May your marriage be long, fulfilling and joyful!
I receive many requests to officiate at weddings, and that is wonderful. I am very pleased that so many couples want to begin their married life with a Jewish wedding led by Jewish clergy. Inevitably, though, I have to say 'no' to many of these requests. I don't like turning couples away, but I simply do not have the time to meet the needs of the congregation I serve and also officiate at dozens of weddings each year.
I offer these policies to help you know if I might be the right rabbi to officiate at your wedding:
If, after looking over these policies, you think I may be a good match to officiate at your wedding, you are more than welcome to contact me to discuss your plans. Call me at Temple Sinai, 401-942-8350, or use the "Contact Me" page of this website. Please mention in your message that you have reviewed these policies.
Again, I wish you mazal tov on your engagement!
Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser
I receive many requests to officiate at weddings, and that is wonderful. I am very pleased that so many couples want to begin their married life with a Jewish wedding led by Jewish clergy. Inevitably, though, I have to say 'no' to many of these requests. I don't like turning couples away, but I simply do not have the time to meet the needs of the congregation I serve and also officiate at dozens of weddings each year.
I offer these policies to help you know if I might be the right rabbi to officiate at your wedding:
- I officiate at weddings for same-sex and different-sex couples. I do not discriminate against gay lesbian couples or against people who are LGBTQIA.
- I do officiate at weddings for interfaith couples in some circumstances. I make a decision about officiating after talking with the couple to understand their reasons for wanting a rabbi, the type of wedding ceremony they envision, and their thoughts about the religion of their future children (if applicable).
- I only officiate at wedding ceremonies that include the elements of a Jewish wedding – chuppah, ketubah, and the traditional wedding blessings. I do not officiate at "secular only" weddings and I cannot agree to omit mention of God from wedding ceremonies.
- I only officiate at legal weddings. I cannot officiate for couples who do not intend to file a wedding certificate with state authorities because they do not wish to jeopardize their financial status.
- I prioritize officiating for members of Temple Sinai and their children. For others, I will officiate if the couple lives in Rhode Island or nearby parts of Massachusetts or Connecticut.
- I generally require three to four meetings with the couple to plan the wedding ceremony and to offer spiritual guidance and support as they prepare to begin their married life.
- Wedding ceremonies conducted at Temple Sinai must conform to the standards and policies of the congregation. Temple Sinai permits same-sex weddings and weddings of interfaith couples in their Sanctuary, but does not permit any symbols, practices or officiants of other faiths in the ceremony.
- MOST IMPORTANTLY! I urge couples to talk with me before setting a wedding date! I do not officiate at weddings on Shabbat. (That means that I will not officiate at a Saturday wedding until after sunset). I do not officiate at weddings on these Jewish holy days: the Ten Days of Repentance (Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur), the seven days of Sukkot, Atzeret/Simchat Torah, Purim, the seven days of Passover, Shavuot, Tisha b'Av, and Yom HaShoah. I do officiate at weddings during Chanukah. In general, I am not available on three-day weekends (the weekends of Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, MLK Day, Presidents Day, etc.). Of course, my officiation on any date is subject to my availability based on my obligations to Temple Sinai and to my family.
- I do not charge for officiating at the wedding ceremonies of Temple Sinai members and their children, as this is part of my duty to the congregation. For others, I charge an honorarium of $600.
If, after looking over these policies, you think I may be a good match to officiate at your wedding, you are more than welcome to contact me to discuss your plans. Call me at Temple Sinai, 401-942-8350, or use the "Contact Me" page of this website. Please mention in your message that you have reviewed these policies.
Again, I wish you mazal tov on your engagement!
Rabbi Jeff Goldwasser