The term “Jewish interfaith wedding” means different things to different people. If you’re planning for your Jew-ish wedding, it’s important to decide as a couple what this means to you, and to find an officiant that can accommodate your vision. Some couples have Jewish clergy officiate and want their wedding to be essentially the same as a wedding with two Jewish partners, with very minor differences, if any. Other couples want to include rituals from both partners’ religions or cultures.
There’s no “right” or “wrong” way to have an interfaith wedding as long as you have open and honest conversations with your partner, as well as your wedding officiant (or co-officiants), to ensure that your plan for your wedding feels right to everyone involved. Join 18Doors’ Rabbi Alex Greenbaum to hear his many ideas to consider for your ceremony, helpful advice on how to have productive discussions with your partner and questions to ask potential officiant(s) to determine if they’re the right fit for you.
Meet Rabbi Alex Greenbaum
Rabbi Alex Greenbaum is one of the rabbis of Beth El Congregation of the South Hills in Pittsburgh with congregational experience from Augusta, GA, Staten Island, NY, and Alpena, MI. He was ordained in 1997 by the Jewish Theological Seminary and holds a MHL from the University of Judaism, LA, and a BA in Poli-Sci/Pre-Law from Michigan State University. Originally from Detroit, he is married to Rabbi Amy Greenbaum, his associate rabbi (they were the first rabbinic couple in its 100-year history to graduate together from JTS). Together, with their three boys and one girl, they have lived in Pittsburgh since 2002. He has worked with 18Doors since 2001 and believes that there is no better place in the world that connects interfaith couples and embracing rabbis.
